A Second Life
by mistymay91
Summary: "Your problem is very simple Granger. You intimidate the hell out of everyone.  You've got a great ass and a painful right hook. And having first hand experience with both; let me say that you, Granger, would make lesser men weep." AU Post-Hogwarts DM/HG
1. Chapter 1

She couldn't remember the last time she felt relaxed. It wasn't really a feeling of dread or that frazzled feeling you get when you have to meet a deadline. No, this was a feeling of numbness. There was almost an absence of emotion or feeling. Things suddenly became dry, simple, and painfully obvious. It was like walking into a crowded room and everyone just couldn't fathom the idea of one plus one. She always felt a bit older than her peers, but that was hidden away inside; shoved behind generous amounts of modesty and humility. Now that feeling lurked out in the open. She felt it when she sat through meetings and even when she sipped tea with Ginny. She realized she was just more logical than these people and it made her even more tightly wound. Tonight's meeting was no exception.

She looked over at Harry who was frantically scribbling down ever word Kingsley said. His tongue was poking out through his lips every so often. She smirked to herself a bit at this. He was always too focused on the wrong thing. Ron was to her left slouching in the oversized arm chair. He was staring at his nails as if they just grew in this morning. Every freckle was bunched together on his nose and Hermione just knew he was in another world.

"What do you think Hermione?" Kingsley stated. Everyone turned curious to hear her take on things.

_What were they just talking about? Raids..something about snatchers in Diagon Alley._ She looked over and saw Draco Malfoy with a look of utter amusement played on his face. _That bastard_.

"Clearly we should send our spies in undercover. They have a reason for being in Diagon Alley, and it's not for a bit of light browsing. The fact that they are lingering clearly states they expect us to show. Why they expect us to show is our true concern." She smirked at Draco.

Everyone in the room nodded and murmured in approval while Draco just glared at her. She watched as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He tipped his wand and the end glowed brightly then faded. He slowly pocketed the wand all the while keeping eye contact with Hermione. His hair was growing a bit long so his usual slicked back hair looked less styled and messier. The hair and the hints of facial hair gave him an almost edgy look. He seemed almost damaged…well he _seemed_ that way at least. _Oh bloody hell. What is he on now?_

Draco took a long drag then turned his face toward Kingsley. He exhaled the smoke and it glided gently through the room. There was almost an eerie magic to the silver smoke as it hung in the air. The smoke silently grabbed the attention of the room. Hermione was curious, truly. He rarely opened his mouth in these meetings, so what was so important now.

He turned back toward Hermione and narrowed his eyes. She felt them burning into her and she shift slightly. A small smirk danced on his lips for a second. She thought perhaps she had imagined it.

"Wrong again Granger," He smirked. Everyone's attention was fixated on him now. There seemed to be a staring match going on between Draco and Hermione, and everyone knew this could get ugly. Snape rolled his eyes and plucked the cigarette from Draco's hand. He vanished it into the night and strutted to the center of the room.

"Ignore Draco. I will be looking into this…situation. We will report back next meeting."

Draco shook his head and relaxed against the wooden chair. The tension in the room slowly evaporated and everyone shuffled out of the crowed drawing room. Ginny latched onto Harry and her brother, quickly escorting them to the kitchen for some left over treats. Hermione watched all the adults file out of the room little by little. Snape and Kingsley were in deep conversation in the back corner. She tried to strain to listen, but Snape looked up. He met her eyes and quickly threw up a sound barrier. There was no use trying now. She looked over and saw Draco lighting another cigarette. He was leaning against the back wall with a serious scowl on his face. He was clearly a million miles away while he took long drags of his cigarette. _Bloody Bastard._

"Just come over and talk to me Granger, staring is no very becoming." He never even looked over at her. He knew. He always knew. She huffed over to his spot on the wall.

"What the hell was that! I'm so sick of your condescending remarks Malfoy. What were-" Her words were cut off by a cloud of smoke in her face. She coughed violently to get her point across. Of all the muggle inventions to enjoy…

The smoke settled and he smiled genuinely for a brief moment. His pale hand gently grazed her neck while he inched closer. She hated when he did this. To her, this draw to him was similar to a love potion. She didn't have a prayer as she melted into his hand. He placed his mouth right next to her ear. She could feel his breath and she relaxed for the first time that day. She knew he sensed this.

"I hear your thoughts Granger. I know when you're talking out of your ass," he smiled. He placed a warm open mouthed kiss on her neck.

Hermione reacted immediately. Her body seemed to run on a higher collaborator. Her nerves and senses were heightened and her need, no thirst, for him took over. She could feel his smirk as he kissed her neck. She heard a low moan in the background, and it took her a few seconds to figure out it was coming from her. This seemed to egg him on, and his lips traveled lower down to her chest. Just as soon as she felt his lips traveling lower they were gone and she was shoved against the wall. Draco's back was to her and there was a blueish shield around them.

"I get it Snape. You hardly need to send a jinx at me," he drawled like it was the simplest matter. The shield lowered and his smirk returned to his face. He turned to Hermione and watched her face heat up, while his face was void of emotion. He simply had one aristocratic eye brow raised. He placed his cigarette back in his mouth and took a quick drag.

"While I do enjoy that ass; try not to talk out of it quite so much. I know the other idiots won't know, but I unfortunately do. I don't like my time wasted Granger."

With that he swatted her ass and shoved her toward the exit. Hermione muttered curses under her breath as she stormed out. He knew he would pay for that later but he couldn't resist. He flicked the last bit of ash and butt onto the Wesley's rug. It wasn't as if the house could get much worse. There was dirt everywhere.

"That was disturbing. I do enjoy keeping down my meals but that seems more and more impossible with her in the picture." Draco could tell Snape was only somewhat joking. He looked up quickly and glared at his Godfather.

"Then try not to look next time," he stated rather smugly and headed toward the exit himself.

Snape had taught him many things, and how to make an exit was indeed one of them. He could hear the two dunderheads with Weaslette as he headed toward the kitchen. _Oh how the mighty have fallen_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: Thanks for the reviewer's comments. Hopefully this gives you a better idea as to where the plot is heading. I hope to update soon! Thanks for the Reviews!**

Draco was _absolutely_ sure of three things: 1. He was a hell of a lot stronger both physically and magically then he ever let on. 2. He felt no true alliance to any cause in this God forsaken war. 3. He had no idea what to do about Granger.

She honestly drove him to drink. Her stupid bushy hair and shrill voice use to make him contemplate removing his _own_ ability of sight and hearing. At one point he suggested to Blaise that they should employ _her_ instead of Aunt Bella as the head torturer of prisoners. Merlin knows he would prefer a good crucio to her verbatim quotes of Hogwarts a History. He was not sure when her protection for magical creatures changed from ridiculous to somewhat endearing. If he had to guess, it was probably when he thought he was going to die. He remembered waking up to this fuzzy image of a woman and she was crying over his body. In his delirium he eluded something to that fact that angels don't cry. _Oh Merlin did he come to regret that statement._ The next day he woke fully and found Granger at the foot of his bed. She had a huge stupid smile on her face. It was as if someone had beaten her with a happy stick. Little did he know that his stupid comment had changed everything.

"Mate, you've been reading that page for the last fifteen minutes. Either you stroked out and are trying to come back, or you switched brains with Goyle. Either way I'm not sure I am the right person to handle this." Blaise was smirking at his friend's lapse in focus from the doorway. Blaise did love a good entrance. He strutted into the room with Draco.

Draco looked up from his paper and gave Blaise his signature snarl. It didn't have the exact effect he intended, but it sent the message that he was not in the mood. Lately it felt like even Malfoy Manor was suffocating him.

"Don't you have your _own_ manor to attend too? Mate you really need to spend more time with your woman. Maybe then you can do something else to occupy your time instead of harassing me." Draco was not in the mood for jokes today. It was Tuesday night after all.

Blaise sat down across from Draco at the long dining table. He wordlessly summoned two glasses and a bottle of Firewhiskey. He poured a generous amount into each glass and slid one across the table to Draco. Blaise knew he wouldn't resist the liquor tonight. Tuesdays always brought this out in him.

"Look Draco. I was there too. I saw all of that horrible stuff but it wasn't like we had much of a choice. It wasn't like _you_ had much of a choice. At least you're doing something about it." Draco's head snapped up at that comment. Did he know that-

"Yea don't give me that look. I'm your best mate. I don't even have to read your thoughts to know that you're doing something. Don't worry I'll leave it at that and I won't say anything. Fuck this war. The only interests I have these days are to keep you and Daphane safe." His eyes bore into Draco as he drank a long drink from his glass.

Draco could give Blaise the benefit of the doubt, but he was a Malfoy and thus he was always a target. He chugged the full amount in his glass. Maybe he wouldn't have to modify his memory. _Today_. For some reason he really wanted to go to the safe house, which was odd because Draco never visited Hermione on Tuesdays. Usually he needed at least two days to recover from Death Eater meetings. Last night had been particularly brutal. He had killed that Chang girl from school. She looked up at him as if he was going to be her savior. He killed her immediately. She died thinking of the monster Draco Malfoy had become. What she doesn't know is that he was her savior. Greyback was scheduled to "interrogate" her next. Bastard would have left her with nothing begging for death. He told Aunt Bella that she was getting mouthy so he raped and killed the bitch. She seemed pleased as she walked away smirking to report to the Dark Lord. His mother stared at him like a beaten puppy. She was forced to watch her son become the man she was forced to marry. Every day he saw her become more and more disgusted with him and herself. One day she would be proud of him.

He slid his glass back at Blaise to refill. One more drink would clear his head, or at least it would make it cloudy enough that he could relax. Blaise sent the filled drink back no question. He was glad that Blaise insisted on checking up on him even if he would never admit to it aloud. They were complete opposites in many ways. Blaise had kind brown eyes and a dark complexion. Draco had harsh silver eyes and pale skin. Blaise loved his life and tried to protect his friends. Draco protected himself. Both men were cunning and charming when they wanted to be. Blaise often smooth talked the ladies and was known for his harsh exterior. Draco knew better.

"Get your ugly ass out of my house," Draco snarled in that certain tone. Blaise received the message with a smirk.

"I'll have you know that your mother finds my ass nothing but divine. Told me so just seconds before I ran into you." Blaise sighed and headed for the door. He loved pissing Draco off.

Draco just flipped him off as he went back to reading his paper. The article was about the raids at Diagon Alley. It turns out that they took Granger's advice after all. Five death eaters were arrested for questioning. He knew that questioning them was rather pointless. Draco and Snape were already feeding them information and they were high in command. Three order members were killed that night. He didn't recognize their names so he didn't really care. He didn't get why the order insisted on not using the killing curse. Killing them was the surest way to guarantee they wouldn't kill you. The whole lot of them were a bunch of idiots.

The alcohol was beginning to affect him. He was getting bloody annoyed just thinking about the order. Those dolts just didn't see what was going on. Draco knew The Golden Trio was on their own sort of mission. The rest of them seemed to be running around in circles since Dumbledore died. Not that he blamed them really. He was shaking as he thought about his sixth year and then his year on the run. The Dark Lord whisked him away from Snape immediately. He was sent through the most painful and mentally damaging year of his life. He was tortured and brainwashed while chained to the basement wall. The Dark Lord was pissed, and he wanted to make Draco his soldier. He never spoke of that year to anyone. He died that year. Grabbing the glass, he downed the rest of the Firewhiskey. It had a particular kick to it this time. Looking down he saw his hands were shaking a bit; Time for a smoke break. He whipped a cigarette out from his pocket and lit up. As he tried to ease his mind he thought back to Granger.

He remembered their first real conversation after his "induction" into the Order. His rib was still healing and he tried to stay seated as much as possible. He was beaten but he was not broken. His defense mechanism was always to lash out on anyone who tried to help. Draco just wanted to lick his own wounds in private. His dignity was all he had left, and he felt like he had lost that as well when he joined this suicidal organization. He wandlessly flicked the lights of and set a fire. There was something about firelight that relaxed him and lately he needed some stress relief. The oversized armchair called to him, but instead he went for the hard wooden chair in the corner. His breath was staggered so he tried to focus in. This was one of the only tricks from the dark side he still used often. Controlling your magic internally was incredibly difficult to learn, but when you did it changed everything.

_Deep breath…one….two… _He felt his magical aura shift slightly. It was tilted and he could just see the-

"What the hell are you doing in the dark Malfoy? The boys sent me in to get you, but now I feel like I just interrupted some 'private time'." Hermione had a grin that was spreading quickly.

That stupid grin pissed him off more than anything. Although, he could see her front teeth weren't so…buck anymore. That was a relief. She was clearly waiting for a comeback. He didn't even feel like that comment warranted a response so he just glared and rolled his eyes. Granger thought she was so. Damn. funny.

"Is that truly all you have? Those injuries must have been pretty severe to deflate that ego."

His breath was sucked in and he sat up a little straighter. She could see she had struck a nerve and had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. She wasn't leaving however. This oddly comforted Draco. Hermione walked over and sat next to Draco in a similar wooden chair. He could tell that this chair was uncomfortable based on her ever shifting weight. She was far too proud, however to find a new seat. He found this incredibly amusing for some reason. Maybe it was the medication.

"Granger, I'm not a child. I don't need you to babysit me. Go nag the rest of the brainless trio." He was so over this conversation. For the millionth time he wished he had never opened his mouth when he was slightly comatose. Next she would ask him, Merlin forbid, how he was feeling.

"How are you feeling Draco?"

He should have been a damn seer. No, this girl was so fucking predictable. Time to end this conversation. He whipped his head to glare her down. She desperately needed to be put in her place.

"So Great Granger. I feel like I could fucking fly." His voice was dripping in sarcasm.

He hoped she would get the picture and leave already. They just glared at each other; neither blinked for what seemed like hours. Finally Granger got up and walked out. Then all of a sudden she turned around and whipped out her wand. Before Draco could react he was hanging upside flying through the air. His head rushed with blood and he tried to comprehend what was happening, and then just as suddenly he was back on the ground. Granger's stupid smirk was back and this time he found it almost tolerable. He walked up to her and quickly backed her into the corner. It seemed she had underestimated his strength yet again. Her breathing was coming short, but she held a decent poker face. He was mildly impressed. Never breaking eye contact he grabbed her wand and pinned her arms against the wall. She had lost her poker face at this point and was clearly looking for a way out of her current situation. He leaned into her ready to _really_ scare the shit out of her when something changed.

He never knew why he did it. Even to this day he had no real explanation. If he really thought about it he would guess it was how vulnerable she looked. He understood vulnerable because that day was one of his weakest days on record. For the first time in his life he _wanted_ to let someone see how he was really doing.

Draco held her pinned arms above her head and locked eyes with her. Then he leaned into her and said, "How very Slytherin of you Granger. I'm impressed."

He dropped her arms and handed her wand back to her, and then he turned and exited the room. He knew that she understood on some level that he accepted her attempt towards a truce.

Draco was shaken out of his thoughts by the sounds of his house elf. That blasted elf was always making so much noise. He conjured up an ash tray and threw in his cigarette butt. He was about to call in Tibby to clean his mess, but he could just hear Granger ranting in his head about slave labor. He grabbed his glass and headed to kitchen.

Draco wasn't sure what he was going to do about Granger. That woman was working her way into his brain and he wasn't so sure that he liked it. He felt his dark mark burning his entire forearm. He knew that he was going to be punished for the Diagon Alley debacle. After all, it was his fault they lost five death eaters. The mission was under Draco's command. It was his plan after all. He tried to warn Granger, but that woman hated being wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione hated that in between time. Anyone who had a loved one fighting knows what it's like to stare at a clock watching each second tick away. Time seems to slow down and speed up all at the same time. Ron had tried to talk to her a few times but she honestly couldn't even hear what he was saying. Her mind was only able to focus on the Grandfather Clock in the back corner of the room. Hermione hated that in between time.

Draco was due back an hour ago for his debrief and check in. He had not shown up to his designated portkey location. The standard policy was to wait 24 hours before he was reported to our underground forces. The Specialized Forces then tracked for a period of time designated by the Head of the Order. This time allowance depended heavily on the rank and importance of the missing member. Hermione knew the procedure. She had watched the same thing happen when Seamus had disappeared. Her stomach churned at the thought. Draco wouldn't need 24 hours. He would be found dead or alive before the 24 hours was up. If he was suspected of being a traitor they would kill him.

Mrs. Weasley placed a warm cup of tea into her hands. Molly smiled and quietly ushered the rest of the family out of the kitchen. Hermione slowly sipped the tea. There was a hint of rosemary and she chuckled a little. Rosemary in tea usually meant there was a hidden calming draught in the liquid. She guessed she could use something to calm the nerves. Molly grabbed a cup as well and sat across the table with her knitting. She never looked up or said anything to place false hope in Hermione. She simply knitted and drank tea in comfortable silence. Hermione was suddenly very glad to not be alone.

"Thank you for the tea."Hermione muttered in a small voice. She sounded so unlike herself.

Molly looked up and genuinely smiled. This smile was the kind of smile mothers give their children to show their love. It was moments like this that she wished her mother wasn't wondering in Australia.

"It was no trouble at all dear. A mother knows what's best for her children." She paused for a second in deep thought. Slowly she placed down her needles and leaned toward Hermione.

"Have I ever told you about the first war when Arthur went missing. Yes, it was the longest day of my life, but I knew," She pointed to her heart and looked deep into Hermione's eyes, "I knew he was ok and so I waited." Hermione understood immediately what she was telling her. Her eyes filled with unshed tears.

"So we will wait together my child." With that she went back to knitting in silence. Hermione finished her tea, and went to fill up a new kettle. It was reaching 2 a.m. and she really needed to stay focused.

There were suddenly a lot of voices bellowing from the drawing room. It sounded like a bar fight had just broken out. She could hear the voices now clear as day.

"I realize that we are..._somewhat_ related. Don't think that gives you any right to place your hands on me. And don't you dare start that morphing shit. It's bad enough you are part muggle. I don't-"

"THAT MORPHING SHIT! Did you hear him Remus. That ungrateful bastard of a cousin! I should have left him bleeding in that back alley. That little-"

"Please stop it, the both of you. Nymphadora do not provoke the boy. Turning into your Aunt Bella was not a comforting image to awake from a concussion to. You really had no right-"

"No Right! I thought he would feel more comfortable in the arms of his _kind_. Aunt Bella does love her precious Drakey. She taught him so well. I-"

"Finish that sentence and I will show you how much I really learned from her."

Hermione saw sparks of color erupting and spilling out from the doorway. He just _had_ to take it that far. There was a low moan that echoed from the room. Everything got really silent and Hermione dropped her cup and ran to Draco's aide. The rest of the house seemed to follow suit as the drawing room filled with Order members. Remus was escorting Draco to a chair while Tonks walked to the back of the room in a huff. They were both overly dramatic.

Draco hunched over in his wooden chair. He looked pale and sweaty, but he had this air about him. She would give him that; he never let others seem him as weak. His face was void of emotion and his breathing was controlled. Hermione assessed for damage from across the room. His eye and lip were completely swollen and his side was clearly injured. There was blood smeared across his cheek and yet he still looked resilient. She knew he could feel her eyes on him but he didn't look her way. There was a low murmur of confusion and then Remus stepped forward.

"Alright everyone, let's all get back to our business. Harry, if you could just floo Kingsley and tell him Draco is here. Everything is fine. Let's go people." The crowd all seemed to find the situation dull and headed back to their rooms. Ginny brushed past Hermione taking the briefest moment to give a consoling touch to her as she past. Both women understood each other in a way that needed no words.

Hermione lingered in the back of the room. She just wanted to be sure everything was really ok. Tonks and Draco kept sending each other death glares from across the room. It was sort of amusing how incredibly similar they really were. Their fighting was so childlike compared to how both parties fought with other people. Hermione had her suspicions about them, but being stubborn was a Black family trait.

"Ms. Granger, it is always a pleasure to see you. Please excuse us; we have official business to tend to. I know you understand protocol better than myself I dare say." Kingsley was always a respectable man. He was trying to tell Hermione to leave. She wouldn't budge.

Draco tore his eyes away from Tonks to finally acknowledge Hermione. They made eye contact and she heard his voice lull into his head.

_**It's ok. I'm ok. I'll find you after this. Go finish your tea. **_

She hated the invasion, but his voice gave her the comfort she needed. Wait, how did he know about her tea? She saw a smirk form on his bruised lips. _Bloody Bastard_.

Hermione headed into the kitchen to clean her mess and maybe put on a new pot. She remembered the first time she heard his voice in her head. It would have been traumatic if she wasn't already being traumatized.

Hermione was laying on the floor of Malfoy Manner. They had just been captured by snatchers and they were face to face with the Malfoy family. This was the first time she had seen Draco since Hogwarts. He looked worse than her, and she had been on the run for months. The trauma of the Crucio had made that whole memory foggy. She remembered pain. This pain was soul ripping and every nerve in her body was on fire. There is just no way of explaining that degree of pain. Once as a child she fell through ice on a family vacation. She would have preferred that every day for a lifetime then have to endure Bellatrix's cruicio again.

Hermione understood why people lose touch with reality. It was the only way to escape this unbelievable pain. She felt herself begging for death.

_**Find your magical center. LISTEN TO ME. Focus internally Granger. Trust me it is the only is to survive this. **_

She would try anything at this point. She went deep into her mind and felt almost a nudge of power. There were colors shifting constantly. She focused harder. Now what?

_**Alright you see your color. I'm guessing you're blue. Yes. Now tilt toward the shift. No Granger! Listen.**_

She was losing focus. It was so painful and she was so tired. She felt her body giving up on her and-

_**Damn it Granger. YOU HAVE TO KEEP TRYING. Please listen to my voice. This isn't working! **_

She couldn't do it anymore. She started thinking about Draco though. She had forgotten how beautiful he was. At least he was the last person she saw alive.

_**That's it! Just open your mind completely. Let go of all of your barriers. I'll go into your magic and block this. YOU BETTER NOT FUCKING GET ME STUCK IN YOUR MUDBLOOD HEAD!**_

Suddenly she felt a rush of intense power and strength. Her bright blue became deep rich green. It was like her body just got a massive dose of adrenaline. She could lift her head and the pain was dull and somewhere else. She was breathing a little deeper and then it was all gone.

The next thing she knew she was at shell cottage. Ron was laying next to her in a small bed. She woke him up to ask about what happened.

"Ron, what happened? Did you hear what Draco was saying to me! What was he talking about!" She was getting panicky.

"Hermione Draco wasn't saying anything. Please just rest and try to heal." He sounded so broken. After a few minutes she drifted off to sleep. It took her months to figure out he was talking inside her head.

The door swung open and the men all stepped out. Hermione's thoughts were lost as she saw their long faces. Kingsley looked worried and pulled out his Order coin. The coin in her pocket burned and she knew the whole group was being called for an emergency meeting. She heard the all too familiar sounds of floo and apperation. Weasley boys were pouring out of rooms all over the house. There was an eerie silence among the group as they all took their seats around the table. Snape stormed in from the floo and immediately took the seat at the head of the table. Of course he did. Draco followed and sat at his left. Hermione grabbed the open seat next to Draco. Snape was eyeing Draco was an unreadable expression.

"Do tell me that you plan on cleaning yourself up." He was eyeing his godson in a peculiar manner.

"Yes, but I plan to leave the lip to heal naturally. What is one more scar? Thanks by the way for this _memorable_ injury. It was a nice touch to my permanently broken ribs and concussion." Draco's face was void of all emotions. It was like he had asked about the weather. Snape rolled his eyes.

"Pathetic. Tell them the news so I can get back to my work. I do hate your long winded speeches so keep this short." Snape had a small smile that vanished almost immediately. Draco smirked before standing and facing the Order members. Everyone got silent immediately. Draco had that effect on people.

"The Dark Lord was displeased about the failure at Diagon Alley. In his anger on me, he let slip that there was a leak about the location of one of the safe houses. I'm not sure which one but he is very confident that he has an accurate location. Im sorry I don't have more information. Please rework your protective enchantments and your security wards. Make sure that you limit who is visiting and knows your location. Have a security question for everyone." He held a clear voice and the news shook the group to its core. A leak? Hermione's mind was running a mile a minute. Who could it be?

"I spoke with the Dark Lord as well. Let's talk strategy…"

Hermione couldn't hear Snape anymore. A leak meant Draco could be compromised and that meant sure death. Panic filled her heart as she ran through all of the horrible possibilities. She felt a cold hand grab hold of hers tightly. She looked up to see Draco focused on the conversation. No one would know she was holding hands with him under the table. It was the happiest she felt in days. Physical touch was not something Draco passed around freely. He used it for manipulation or for his own gain, but hardly ever did he offer his touch for comfort. The panic on her heart melted. He was safe now, and that was all that mattered. Kingsley stood.

"Let's all regroup late this week. Travel safe. Keep alert." Everyone silently trickled out of the room. There was a sense of impending dread that could be felt by everyone. Draco and Hermione stayed planted at the table lost in their own world. Finally they were alone for the first time in weeks.

"Draco your face is starting to bleed again." He shrugged his shoulder. "Here I'll fix it." She flicked her wand and watched his face stitch itself back together. They sat staring for a few minutes. He clearly had a lot on his mind.

"I wanted to come over last night. Do you find that strange?" He was acting kind of strange come to think of it.

"No. I would have let you sleep over." He seemed somewhat relieved by this. She never really got a chance to ask him. The next second her face was attacked by his lips. He was kissing every part of her face. He kissed her eyes and nose and place a long kiss on her lips. It felt so nice to have this back. She had missed him terribly. She knew she should ask him more about his injuries but this was usually how this went down. He stopped kissing her for a moment and looked at her.

"You are on my mind constantly Granger." He smirked after saying that. "Granted, half the time you are naked begging for me to take you." _Ahh, there it is_. Hermione's face flushed at that comment. She wasn't use to this attention sometimes. This only egged him on.

"You don't think about us baby? What about late at night? Maybe after I've been gone a few days?" Her face was on fire at this point. There was no way she was admitting this to him. She tried to respond but it came out in squeaks. He saw his moment to attack. She tried to get up and leave but he had other plans. Grabbing her arm, he brought her body into his. He tucked a few loose curls behind her ear.

"No response. Pity. I love when that mouth utters filth. Granger I know you aren't so innocent. No need to act like the virginal Gryffindor to me." He was whispering into her ear. _So much for being injured_.

Hermione knew she needed to gain her leverage back.

"I don't think that all people get off to such crude things Malfoy." She was pleased that she regained her composure.

His eyebrow rose immediately. Quick as a flash he picked up her petite body and placed her on the kitchen counter. He spread her legs thanking Merlin she was in a skirt. Hermione was in complete shock. He slipped his finger into her teasing her just a little. Sure enough when he pulled his finger out it was coated. Hermione's face was a look of pure mortification. Draco looked like his birthday and Christmas came early.

"So tell me again Granger. People don't get off to such crude things?" He whipped his finger on her upper thigh. Hermione's eyes got wide. Her own body was betraying her. Draco chuckled at this.

"Really Granger? And on the Kitchen counter of all places." He shook his head and walked out of the room, leaving Hermione to compose herself for the hundredth time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note****: Thanks for the reviews everyone. I am so glad that you all seem to enjoy the direction this story is taking. I like to keep updating while I have time on break. I head back to school soon so I will try to write a lot now. Have a great holiday and safe New Year.**

Draco wasn't exactly lying when he said the safe house has been compromised. In reality, he knew exactly which safe house was on Voldemort's radar. Telling the weasel family their precious Shell Cottage was located would have caused unnecessary panic. He knew how the death eaters worked, and they would have no interest attacking a house full of Order rejects.

There was no one of substance stored in that location, and capturing anyone there would provide them with little to no accurate information. Lovegood senior was probably the most well known member there, and that crazy buffoon wouldn't know his ass from his elbow. Draco took the risk of remaining silent. Honestly, it would look highly suspicious if after being told this classified information the Shell Cottage just randomly was disserted. To be even more honest, the people in that location would not be a loss to the Order if they turned up dead.

What truly concerned Draco was _where_ Voldemort got this information. He was always suspicious of everyone and believed everything was a trap. That was the only way to survive as a double agent. He didn't really expect to survive this war. Granger flipped out on him when he told her that. She was always so optimistic; Draco was forever a realist. Draco knew that she was developing feelings for him, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Feelings and emotions were not such a hot commodity for him growing up. He didn't want her to be irrecusably damaged by his death. He watched too many people fade away to nothing because they lost their partner. She was far too good for this war and far too good for a damaged life. He was bound to pay for the lives he took, and death was inevitable for him. He lived a doomed life. He realized too late that she was his only peace.

Draco would give the Weasels one thing, their land was beautiful. His body was still a little sore from all of the damage it endured at the last death eater get together. Thankfully the stitches in his face repair his lip immediately. He didn't honestly want to have a scar. Pissing off Snape was just far too much fun to resist. Flying was exactly what he needed to clear his head, and Potter's firebolt was bound to impress.

He couldn't actually believe his luck in this particular situation. He had walked in on the girl Weasley and Potter in a _very _naughty act. That image just burns into your retinas let me tell you. Draco knew the male weasels valued Ginny's virginal image more than they valued food or money. It was really pathetic thing to hold on to. He saw her at school and everyone knew she was far from innocent. If that was what they considered a good virgin girl then he would hate to see their version of slutty whore. _Ahh, Pansy_. Never mind, he was well acquainted with that particular brand of Slytherin Women.

In exchange for his silence, Potter gave him full access to his broom. It worked for him just fine. Draco didn't really have a lot of complaints about Potter lately. They understood each other and came to a mutual respect over time. Draco preferred working with him on raids because he was quick on his feet and kept a level head. If potter had been raised pureblood he would have been an excellent fighter. As it was, he was far too noble to really be proficient in a duel. He pitied and envied him for being able to think that way.

The wind was perfect as he set out to the broom shed. The rickety old shed had definitely seen better days, but Draco was willing to bet it saw a lot of action as well. He couldn't image the lack of privacy this house held.

The Firebolt was easy to spot. It stood out against the ancient Cleansweeps. He kept being reminded of how poor the family was. It made him smile every day. He headed out to the open field and wasted no time getting up in the air. When he was flying the world wasn't quite so fucked up. Draco took a lap around the perimeter of the main land. It was nice to be on a broom simply for recreation. Lately he found that broom travel was becoming more popular for raids. It took the pleasure out of the act.

After a few more laps around the land he spotted Granger. She was heading towards her favorite spot by the stream. Sure enough, she sat down on the large rock and let her feet dangle over the water. He steadied his broom in the air and just observed her. She looked simply stunning. Lately her features had really softened and that dreaded hair had lengthened which pulled the curls down. It was strange to feel attraction to Hermione after their interesting past. She made everything complicated. Sighing, Draco landed the broom and headed toward that big boulder. She didn't hear him approaching.

"It's cold Granger. Don't stay out here too long."

He hovered over her waiting for some sort of response. Her eyes never left the stream, but she did put on the sweater sitting in her lap. There was clearly something on her mind. Why did he always have to act like her damn therapist? He let out an annoyed groan and sat down next to her. No way was he going to pry emotions out of her. She was keeping her problems locked away deep inside where no one questions, and that was exactly where feelings like that belong. He didn't have a problem sitting with her however. The stream was rather peaceful.

"What is this Draco?"

Oh shit. He just had to sit, down didn't he. Draco looked around franticly. There was defiantly no way of avoiding this. If he slowly backed up he could maybe get away. He had a few options: 1. He could pretend he didn't hear the question and fake sleep. 2. He could just tell her. 3. Fake stupid… Option 3 it is.

"What are you talking about? What is what? You sound delirious, so let's get you back inside. Come Granger." He grabbed her arm and tried to usher her to her feet. She slapped his arm away with a smile.

"You know I figured you would have gone with the fake sleep approach. This one was truly inspired though. Bravo." She went back to staring at the stream. There was no further prying at the subject.

Draco had no response to this so he did what all males do when they feel a loss of control; he started swearing, and talking loudly and defensively. Draco jumped to his feet and started pacing with no real purpose.

"Look I didn't ask for you to unload your bullshit on me. You think I planned for this to happen! Like I would choose on my own to get in this mess with you! Why did _you_ start this with me? That is the million galleon question. I did nothing but push you AWAY. But you just _love_ to stick that nose of yours in places it doesn't belong. So don't hand me your psycho babble bullshit. I have no _fucking_ clue what _this_ is ok. Granger, I have no clue what is going on with me or my life. No. Fucking. Clue. I-"

Hermione's lips cut him off. _When did she get up_? He was happy for the distraction. Her soft full lips were by far one of his top five favorite features of hers. Kissing her was channeling all of his pent up feelings. He wanted her to feel his frustration and pain as well as his comfort and happiness. Slowly they backed up into the willow behind the large rock, lips still interlocked. Draco used this tree to his advantage.

Grabbing her face he kissed her a little harder. She always responded so well to him. He could hear her quiet moans and it just egged him on. Within seconds he was tearing off her sweater and working on the buttons of her blouse.

She seemed to have the same idea because suddenly he felt his own shirt was being tugged over his head. He was positive her heard her growl. The momentary distraction was enough for Hermione to get his belt off. Her whole body was panting with need. She had that look in her eye that he loved. Her eyes turned almost black with lust.

He lifted her up against the tree and she wrapped her legs around him. She could feel him growing against her. Draco wasn't in the mood for waiting. This little vixen had been toying with him the last few days. He pushed up her skirt and smirked at her lack of underwear. _That dirty girl. _He wasted no time dropping his trousers. As soon as he was in her he let go of all the emotions he held in.

He could hear her moaning and crying out as he pumped into her. Her back would probably be sore but he could care less at the moment. He muttered dirty words in her ear as he focused on nothing else but their need for each other. Being inside her was like nothing else. They fit so well and Merlin did that women drive him crazy. He felt her tighten around him and he took his cue to let go.

They crumbled into a pile at the roots of the tree. Both of them were trying to catch breath. They lay tangled in each other for some time. It was nice just being together, and no words were really necessary. _Why can't all fights end this way?_ Slowly they started collecting their things. She threw his shirt at him and he handed her sweater back to her. After they collected themselves, they sat back down under the shade of the willow. He sensed she was still bothered by something. She grabbed his hand and played with his palm. Her hands were so small compared to his. He sometimes forgot how tiny she really was.

"I just don't understand why you don't think we can be together. We clearly work. I don't know why, but we work so well. I don't understand what my problem always is with men. Why can't I get any of them to stay." She looked so sad and confused.

Ahhh, so this was the root of her troubles. She clearly didn't see herself the way other men did. Draco brushed her stray curls and smiled down at her.

""Your problem is very simple Granger. You intimidate the hell out of everyone. You've got a great ass and a painful right hook. And having firsthand experience with both; let me say that you, Granger, would make lesser men weep." He grabbed her face and kissed her lips tenderly.

"Luck for you I find the _benefits _far outweigh the challenge being with you possesses."

The goofy grin spread across her face and she rested her head against his shoulder. There are few perfect moments in life, and this was one of them. However, like all perfect moments, life gets in the way.

Hermione's head shot up and he eyes focused in on Draco's dark mark. It was burning and twisting around. They were calling him. Draco felt himself throwing his walls back up. His mind cleared and he shook off Granger's attempts to comfort him. This was exactly why he needed to get away from her. Draco could feel himself shifting into his harsh cold persona. He focused his mind to keep it neutral. They shouldn't be calling him already.

_This wont be good. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note****: Hey guys. This chapter is a bit dark. It starts out briefly then goes back to an old conversation and then back to the present. Hope it is not too confusing. I wasn't sure how to make it clearer. You get a look into the messed up Draco. ****Warning for violence.**

Hermione lay awake in her bed for the fourth time this week. She was finding it more and more difficult to fall asleep in her new cold and rickety room. Why Harry loved this house honestly baffled her. If she had to guess, then she would assume it was the false sense of comfort he got living where Sirius once called home. It was sort of sad how often she would find Harry roaming the halls or tracing Sirius's name on his door. Living in his head must be a sad and lonely place. She was so glad that Ginny seemed to burst her way into his life.

Ginny was the most confident and effortlessly beautiful woman Hermione had ever met. She commanded presence in any room. Even Draco admitted to being intimidated by her when he first joined the ranks. Well… he sort of admitted to it. What he said was something to the effect of her being a man eater, and wondering if Harry's castration happened quickly or slowly progressed over time. Ginny didn't appreciate that comment, and Draco feel victim to his first bat bogey hex. Hermione smiled at the memory.

Draco left almost immediately following his burning dark mark. Later that night, Kingsley gave the order to move a group of members to a new safe house. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Hermione were moved to 12 Grimmauld place. Lupin would be the senior order member living there as well, but he often stayed with Tonks. This arrangement worked well for a few days, but then Lupin arrived with news. There were a band of rouge werewolves that needed to be questioned. Ginny and Ron were requested for interrogation. They were young, but they had a vindictive way of getting what they wanted from someone. Harry tagged along as well leaving the two women to tend to the house.

Hermione didn't mind Luna's company so much. She seemed to understand things in a way that made everything simple. Luna carried no grudges and gave freely to everyone. She accepted Draco straight away. The next day they were visited by Tonks. The death eaters had acquired a new group of recruits. They had raided a muggle village and there was still no word on the damage. Draco had been given a new home since Malfoy Manner was the new headquarters. He was sent to Malfoy Estates in France, but Draco suspected they were keeping tabs on him there. The order had offered him shelter at this safe house. Living here occasionally would prevent having direct contact to the order from his home. The three women sat in the kitchen discussing options. There was a long silence that seemed somewhat unsettling to Hermione.

"Look Hermione, we aren't exactly sure what Draco's involvement was in the muggle raids. Severus said that he has reason to believe that this raid might have been _overseen_ by him."

Tonks seemed reluctant to say much more. She stood up and started making lists for supplies the house still needed. Hermione knew she knew more.

"Tonks. I know you know more than that. I need to know what kind of mental shape his is in. Please just tell me the truth." Hermione followed Tonks around the kitchen, not letting her presence be ignored. Tonks continued with her lists until she couldn't brush off Hermione any longer.

"He's coming here Thursday. His check in is Friday. I don't know what you should be expecting," Tonks turned toward Hermione. There was a clear look of pity held there. Hermione hated pity.

"Ive seen him before check in, and it is…hard. It is really hard to watch Hermione." She seemed close to tears.

Hermione's mind was spinning in a million directions. _What was she suppose to do? What should she prepare for? What does she mean hard?_ Tonks grabbed her in a large hug and held on. After a few moments she turned and grabbed her list and apparated out of the house.

That was exactly why Hermione was unable to sleep yet again. It was Thursday night and the digital red lights seemed stuck on 2:00am. There is no use trying to sleep at this point. Hermione kicked off her covers and climbed out of bed. Her feet sort of led the way out into the hallway, and before she knew it she was at Draco's door. There wasn't a real plan of action_. I'll just kind of play it by ear_.

Hermione threw open the door and headed into the barren room. The only spare bed was the master suite because no one was brave enough to occupy the scary women's old room. They had cleared everything out so now Draco had a simple bed and a dresser. The one perk to the room was the bathroom that connected to spacious bedroom. Hermione slowly crawled into the bed and settled under the covers. If she was going to wait then she wasn't about to be cold.

The room was very eerie. She wondered what it would be like to grow up living in a house like this. Her home was always so bright and cheery. There were always so many windows and pictures in every room. Her room was still almost a shrine to all of her accomplishments. There were awards and letters from professors hanging everywhere. Her parents were always so proud of her. It was sad to image anyone growing up like Sirius, and Hermione knew Draco's life was probably very similar.

To be honest she didn't know a whole bunch about his life. Its funny how incredibly different he is now, yet he still can be the same. Hermione was a smart woman. She knew that Draco would be a wreck tonight. It was nice to imagine a strong and brave man who protects you and can take every blow with grace. It was nice, but it wasn't realistic. Draco had never been a prince charming or an incredibly noble and brave hero. He was flawed, and he was perfect. Draco's soul was damaged and his whole life was about survival: Emotional, physical, and psychological survival. He was so brave because he was trying to save what little of himself he had left. These meetings broke him and she wasn't sure how far he could be pushed before he couldn't come back.

The door to Draco's room slammed open and Draco stood at the door in full Death Eater attire. He seemed to stand so much taller and just seemed to almost glide into the room. Hermione had never been so terrified in her life. He was hauntingly beautiful, but the sight of him paralyzed her in fear. This was the first time he had ever been in his robe and mask in front of her. The robes draped down his body and the mask heightened his cheekbone. Everything about him looked sharp and cold. He hadn't noticed her as he edged toward his dresser. Hermione wasn't sure if she was still breathing.

He ripped his robe off and threw his mask across the room. It looked like the offending clothes were burning him. He stripped down to his boxers and ran his fingers threw his hair over and over again. Hermione could hear him mumbling to himself. It sounded like he was reciting something from memory. Then she noticed his stained hands. His whole hand was stained a brownish red and it went all the way to his elbows.

"Draco. Whose blood is that?"

He jumped a foot in the air, and whipped his head toward her. His eyes were pure steel and there were no emotions on his face. He looked hard and cold and quite frankly totally scary.

"Get out. I don't want to see your face in _my_ fucking room. " He stormed over to her eyes blazing. Without a thought he dragged her from his bed and shoved her against his door. Hermione's face was sheet white. He had never been this rough with her before. She was trying to focus but her body wouldn't quit shaking. He grabbed her face and slammed her head back against the door.

"You should be fucking terrified of me. You stupid woman what were you thinking." He growled into her exposed ear. She could feel the anger radiating off him. Something was very wrong. Something happened to him.

He threw his whole body against hers squeezing her between himself and the wall.

"Maybe you weren't thinking. Maybe you want to fuck. That's it isn't it." He laughed a cold and horrible chuckle and released her face. Hermione had to bring him back. She looked straight into his eyes for the first time. They looked so icy and she could barely recognize this person. Something bad happened. Someone was dead. She heard herself let out the most pathetic whimper at the thought of that. Draco heard the whimper and immediately backed away from her.

His eyes slowly let their guard down and he just stared at her in shock. Without so much as a word he turned and walked into the bathroom.

Hermione took a moment to compose herself. Whatever that was…it was intense. Her hands were still shaking and she tried to steady her nerves. She could hear retching from the bathroom. Draco wouldn't have wanted her to see him in that state. She waited a bit until she felt it was safe to go in.

The first thing she saw when she walked in was Draco curled up against the wall. His head was in his hands and he wouldn't look up upon her arrival. Her heart broke at the sight of him. He looked so broken and so lost.

"It's not my blood." He croaked out. It sounded raspy and choked.

Hermione immediately went to the sink and grabbed a towel out of the drawer. She knew there was a bowl under the sink to catch leaks, so she grabbed that as well. Grabbing the towel and filling the bowl, she brought it to Draco and sat down across from him.

Gently she grabbed his hand and started to clean them. He stared off, lost in his own mind. The water in the bowl was turing red, and it took all of her strength to not react. That was someone's blood. Whose blood was that. Draco needed her, so her questions had to wait.

After he was cleaned off she helped him into bed. He was like a zombie as he crawled into the bed. Hermione wrapped her body around him making him feel comforted and safe. She could feel his body relax a bit, but she knew he would not sleep.

She couldn't help the fear that gripped her as she lay in bed. Draco had never been this broken before, and she had seen him in some bad situations. She ran her hands in circles against his back. If only she could take away some of his pain. Her breathing was getting choppy, but she could not cry. He needed her this time.

"Don't worry," Draco muttered in a vacant whisper, "It wasn't one of your friends." Hermione was startled by this answer. She hated to admit it was on her mind, but still. He kept his back to her shaking slightly.

"It was one of mine."

Hermione's heart shattered immediately. She kissed his shoulder and tightened her grip on him. She could feel his pain washing over her. _**Oh God. Blaise.**_

**Author Note:**** Sorry this was a little intense. I like to make Draco more human. He is edgy and sexy, but he is incredibly messed up. There is no way you can see what he does and be ok. I hope you all enjoyed this glimpse into Draco.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey All- Sorry for not updating in a long time. My friend got sick and I had to spend my extra time helping him. I should be back to updating daily again! **

A woman was screaming. This was a soul piercing scream. He could feel it burning him from the inside out. The earth shattering cries led to a vibrating moan. These noises were filled with so many emotions it physically hurt him to listen. He had to make it stop. Had. To. Make. It. Stop.

Everything was hot. It was burning red and yellow and orange. The crying had become muted and now there was a cold harsh laugh. Shadows kept moving, but now he wanted to find the screaming woman. He started to run. The shadows formed into townhouses, but it was still too smoky or maybe just fuzzy. The moaning became louder and maybe off to the right. He saw people standing around a tree. Where they people?

The closer he got the more they changed from shadows to blurs, and then finally to two people. Laying against the tree was a man. His whole body was torn to shreds. There was nothing left of his face and the pieces of skull hung loosely from the broken stringy flesh of his neck. His insides were torn out and dragged around him. Blood everywhere. Appendages were scattered haphazardly around the tree. The woman was slumped over his body. She was face down in pieces of his torn abdomen. Her back was covered in blisters and blood. There was barley anything left of her torn apart shirt. Deep gashes ran from her neck to her lower back. He wasn't sure if she was alive, but there were moans coming from somewhere. There was a twitch coming from the woman's bloody hand. His attention was immediately drawn to the ring resting on the delicate all be it bloody finger. The screaming was now coming from him.

Draco woke with a start. It took him a second to take in his surroundings. There was a dresser off the left and the room had dirty off green walls. The room smelled stale and a held a strange mixture of bile and dried blood. He ran his fingers through his hair and found it to be damp, probably from sweat. The night rushed back to him and he had an overwhelming desire to vomit again. He chocked it down and leaned his head back against the bed's wooden headboard. Closing his eyes, Draco tried to focus his magic.

_One…two…_ He gave up with a sigh. It wasn't happening for him. His mind was drained and his magic was the most unfocused it had been in years. He felt the bed shift and looked to his right. Hermione was curled up in a ball muttering quietly in her sleep. At this angle he could see every vertebra in her spine. The thin cotton sheet shifted and he could make out most of her ribs as well. _Was she eating?_ The thought troubled him. She seemed rather pale as well now that he thought about it. Stress was showing on her skin and body. Draco guessed he hadn't really had much of a chance to examine her these last few weeks. It was sort of peaceful to be able to admire her while in sleep_. And hell she always looked damn good naked._

He hated feeling like he was losing control, and that led to his rather unpleasant attachment to muggle cigarettes. It always started with shaking hands. In his worst episode he would sometimes find himself blacking out and losing himself in his memory. Blind rage and aggression usually led to self injury or assault to others. He hated it and he hated himself. Draco read somewhere that this was common in magical trauma. Last night was pretty bad. He couldn't remember much past sitting in the bathroom. They had defiantly had sex last night, but that didn't really surprise him. There was something comforting about the physical act. She was alive, and he could touch and feel her. She was safe. He barely remembered a word he said last night. The room was shifting a bit and he felt a sharp pain in his head. Draco found himself closing his eyes yet again in efforts to block out the pain. It was rather pointless really. He really just needed a cigarette.

Draco carefully pealed back the covers and crawled out of bed. There was an open pack in his trouser pocket, but those were way across the room. He defiantly tore them off the first chance he could. The room was still rather dark, so finding his scattered clothes proved somewhat difficult. A few feet from the dresser was his crushed pack. It must have fallen out at some point that night. He pulled out the last cigarette and placed it between his lips. _Where was that damn wand?_ Throwing on some boxers he scanned the room for his bloody wand. _Damn thing had to be somewhere_. He dug through his robes searching for his black oak wand. Of course it was blending into to these damn things. He heard his wand hit the floor and he snatched it immediately. The cig dangling from his lips lit up with renewed vigor.

Draco paced the room as he inhaled the smoke. He was desperately trying to regain some semblance of sanity. His mind drifted to the events leading up to last night, and it made his thoughts go hazy. He knew that on some level he was subconsciously repressing what he saw. The fact was that his brother, his best friend, his only family was dead. A sob got caught in his throat and he used all of his will power to force it down. He took a final drag to calm his nerves noting his ever trembling hands. Draco had never had this much trouble getting back in control. The thought only stressed him out further. He flicked the butt and stared at it on the empty floor.

"Come back to bed."

Her voice startled him out of his current thoughts. He had almost forgotten he was still at the Order safe house. Almost. She had wrapped up in the pathetic bed sheet and was gently patting the empty bed next to her. He felt a strong pull to be near her, and so he followed it. He would follow her anywhere.

He crawled back in bed and felt her small body wrap around him. They lay there as she ran her fingers through his hair. It must be some muggle form of comfort. He couldn't remember ever being comforted like this before. Even as a child, his mother avoided affection at all costs. It was…nice. It was very _Granger_.

"I don't know what I can do to help you, Draco. Just tell me what to say." He could feel the pain in her voice, but it was really rather pointless.

" Nothing. There is nothing to say Hermione." He wasn't sure what compelled him to call her by her first name. It just felt so good being near her and around her. He was beginning to sound quite pathetic.

There was so much that needed to be said, but instead they just lay in bed together. Being there was the only second of peace he got from his overworked mind. Soon he would just feel numb. Being numb was the only way to move forward. Draco was good at feeling nothing, but he was sure that all of his nothingness would find a way of destroying him in the end.

"What time is it? Im sure I missed my check in by now." He was muttering more to himself than anything. Draco sat up in the bed._ Shit he still had a job to do._

"It's still morning, Draco. They know you are here."

Sighing he got out of bed and started collecting his clothes. There would be time to mourn Blaise, but right now he needed to finish his task. This task was the only thing keeping him moving. He needed this adrenalin burst to keep up for the next few hours. The crash after would not be pretty, that was for damn sure. He was about half way dressed when he felt her eyes on him.

"Babe, I have to go talk with Kingsley. Get Potter and prepare for a meeting. There is going to be a lot going on the next few hours. Trust me when I say everything is going to get messy. And..well.. im so sorry about.. yeah"

Hermione looked at him with such pity. Draco hated pity. She nodded and climbed out of the bed, slowly collecting her clothes.

Draco walked down the stairs toward the kitchen_. Just keep moving. Focus on finishing the task._ He walked into the kitchen and surveyed the area. It looked unusually tidy for the kitchen of a group their size. There was a single cup placed in the center of the table. The portkeys were getting more and more obvious. Grabbing the cup, he was pulled into his check point's newest location.

Draco landed in a semi lit room. There was a metal chair and a table. The light off to the right was flickering pretty bad. The walls had an offwhite color that seemed rather harsh. This check in was already shaping up to be…challenging. There was three knocks at the door. _Let's get this over with_. Draco returned the knock in rapid succession. The door swung open and a team entered and strapped Draco to the chair. His arms were allowed to be free, but everything else was tied down. They injected and tested chemicals and read their charts. Draco knew the drill: Check for fraudulent identity, insure complete truthfulness in responses, document body functions, ect. Eventually the order member would arrive to assess the situation, and often debrief the agent on further duties. The deeper he gets in his tasks the longer these meetings take. The door swings open and someone enters behind Draco. The team immediately retreats without as much as a word. It must be Kingsley this time. There was no one else who commanded the teams so well.

"Hermione asked me to give these to you." A pack of his favorite cigarettes dropped on the table. That voice was not one he was familiar with. It was female. He investigated the pack with his eyes. There was no way.

"No she didn't. She detests that I smoke." Draco relaxed into the chair. At least he would get a pack out of this.

"That's all I need to hear." The binds holding him in place vanished, and he immediately spun around to see who he was dealing with. There standing behind him was his Aunt Bella. Draco jumped to his feet and frantically searched for his wand. They must have taken it in the investigation.

"Child, sit down. Im not my sister, but I am your Aunt." She laughed and conjured up a second chair and grabbed a seat across the table.

Draco wasn't sure what made him listen, but it was probably because he heard his mother's laugh coming from this woman's mouth. His mind was spinning as he tried to reason how this was all happening. Who was this woman? Was this an ambush? He slowly lowered to the chair across from this woman.

"Andromeda Tonks my love. Happy to finally meet Cissy's son. It's a shame you took after that wretched father of yours. "

Draco flinched ever so slightly. This woman was far too familiar to be a stranger. Tonks…This was his mother's sister. All he knew was she married a muggle and was disowned by the Black family. _Lovely._

"Ahh, so you do know of me. Glad my sister hasn't completely ignored my existence. This is a beautiful moment." Andromeda smiled and suddenly she looked nothing like his Aunt Bella. She made the room feel almost warm. _Keep to business_.

"Checkpoint 24601. I was undercover on the recruit raid which was successful on the darkside. Four muggle villages were completely destroyed. The newest werewolves were…somewhat unable to be contained. The order met us on the last stop. The wolves killed the death eater in charge of their unit and went rouge. They killed 3 Order members before disbanding. I am requesting a Code Green as well as a meeting with full personal. "

Andromeda's smile faltered. Her eyes gave her away immediately. She was worried her daughter was among the decreased. He saw her there, and he knew she was married to a half breed as well. He'd refrain from telling her until the end so this meeting would move along.

"Like I said. This is a Code Green. We need to move immediately." Andromeda narrowed her eyes and stood up. Quickly, she walked out the door and reentered with a portkey and his wand. She knew better than to ask questions.

They arrived at headquarters and immediately were surrounded by terrified order members. This must be the first Code Green they've ever had. Everyone looked panicked. Quickly the main room was filling up. He spotted Hermione toward the back. _Shit. _He knew this was going to get tricky. Snape stormed the room and went to the chair directly next to Draco. He knew what was coming and he wanted to be there to jump in. Everyone was waiting and exchanging nervous glances. _Better get a move on_. Draco stood up and waited for the crowd to settle down.

" Last night there was a raid. The dark side attacked muggle locations and were overrun by order members. Wood and Brown were killed on the spot. They were killed by Death Eaters. Im sorry, but Tonks was maimed by werewolves after attempting to help a fallen soilder. I'm not sure how she is doing. Ginny Weasley was captured and taken into the market. This is why I'm ordering a code green. They do not know her value to the order yet, nor do they know her relation to Potter. The only option would be to do a hostage trade, or a code green. We send in someone to "trade" for Ginny knowing they will be taken in her place. The market is underground and only trades captured woman. We will then have Snape or myself trade for our hostage. It is a complicated situation, and so I am opening the floor. "

It was as if he yelled fire in a theater. The room erupted in cries of panic. There was crying and pleading as well as shouts of anger. Draco noticed Andromeda standing straight faced in the back. She was standing tall and unwavering. That was the Black family strength he knew so well. A hand raised in the back. _Oh Hell No_.

Hermione stood up and placed a reassuring hand on Potter.

"It has to be me. They will immediately understand the benefit of having me as a capture. It would also make sense as to why you would buy me. We have a history that isn't so pretty. It has to be me."

The room seemed to accept this option. There were murmurs of agreement from about everyone. Her fate was sealed the moment she stood up. The adrenalin left him, and his crash was exactly as unpleasant as he knew it would be.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Sorry this was so late. Hope you enjoy this chapter. The flashback is in bold italics. **

She wasn't an idiot. She knew Draco would be pissed about her decision. Harry had filled her in a bit before the code green was called. Harry was damaged beyond any shadow of a doubt, but if Draco was captured she was sure she would be in the same state. Going into this mission was never a question. There wasn't anyone else that could pull this off, and she knew Draco would protect her once she was in. Ginny had to get out. When they find out about Gin's history with Harry… She shuttered thinking about it. No. This had to be her mission.

The second she stood up she almost wished she hadn't. Draco's eyes burned into her, warning her to sit back down. His eyes were darting and unfocused, and she knew he was holding on by a thread. When she opened her mouth to begin the speech, she felt a shift in the atmosphere. The room got cold and the lights were flickering. The more she talked the more the room became nervous. She recognized this feeling. It was uncontrolled magic.

There was a loud crash and Draco was convulsing on the ground. The room was shaking and spinning while object flew off the walls. Windows shattered and objects were smashing against the door and walls. The room erupted in ciaos. Women were screaming and someone sounded like they were crying. All of the sound was magnified, or at least it seemed that way to Hermione. She pushed her way past Order members and headed for the eye of the storm. Draco was twitching in a semi comatose state. Mrs. Weasley was trying to sooth him as she ducked rouge flying objects. He would occasionally grunt or groan in distress. _Why wasn't anyone knocking him out?_ Hermione whipped out her wand and pointed it toward his ever moving head. Mrs. Weasley jumped in front of her outstretched hand.

"STOP! NO! You can't stop him! If you knock him out he won't wake up. He has magical trauma. The poor boy must have been suffering for years. Why didn't he just come forward…I just- the poor boy." Mrs. Weasley was near tears and she gripped Hermione's hand. The objects of the room seemed to settle down which meant this was almost over. Everyone left in the room was crowded around Draco's body. He looked distorted and stretched out. It was like his magic was pulling him apart little by little. Unconsciously she knelt beside him and gently touched his face.

He didn't seem to react to her touch. The thought saddened her a little. After a few more moments, his body stilled. His face was still contorted in a horrific way, but his body looked less mangled. Everyone was running around trying to help. Snape was sent to work on a potion while the twins ran to fetch towels and warm water. Mrs. Weasley was digging through her medical bag to see what supplies she had on hand. Everyone was moving and racing around, but Hermione just sat down and held Draco's hand. He felt like ice, but she refused to let go.

The best thing to do at this point would be to get into his mind. The only problem was that Draco was the most skilled at legilimency. In fact, he had completely mastered it. He could slip into anyone's mind and unravel their thoughts without the person even knowing. He tried teaching her a few times, but he wasn't exactly patient and Legilimency was largely natural ability. Hermione had no real desire to learn until this very second.

_Think. What the hell had he said?_ There was something about an aura around your mind and finding your magic. Hermione closed her eyes and squeezed his hand tighter. Look for his green coloring. She knew that his was green. She could feel and sense a shift, but his mind was so heavily guarded. It was like poking a sleeping bear with a stick. She could feel him about to open and unleash on her. With a grunt of concentration, she slammed her magic against his. His eyes shot open and her head pounded. It felt like a cement block had been dropped on her. She cradled her head and moaned out loud.

" Babe. That was pathetic." His voice was hoarse and shallow.

She would have said something back if her head wasn't bursting internally. Suddenly, the pain just shut off and she could open her eyes. She looked at Draco completely puzzled. What the hell just happened? He just smirked at her clear confusion. He relaxed into the floor and closed his eyes. Draco's tension was slowly leaving him.

" Wandless spell, love. You could have killed yourself trying Legilimency. I had to repair your brain bleed. Don't try that shit again." He didn't try to sit up or argue. The wandless spell had taken all of his strength.

Hermione scoffed at his dismissal of her skill. _I just save that bastards life. Thanks should be in order_. If she had left him then he might still be in a magical coma. Honestly. No manners.

Draco was drifting in and out of consciousness. He seemed far from recovered completely. With a flick of her wand she levitated him to the nearest sofa. Order members were flocking to him with medical supplies and potions. He would be in good hands now. She dropped him with a flick of her wand and headed out to meet with Harry and Ron. There was sure to be a lot of planning before her mission. They needed to talk strategy.

For the next few days there was little talk of anything outside of their upcoming mission. Ron was the order's most strategic battle analyst. When he was able to break free of his emotions and focus on strategy, he was a force to be reckoned with. The only problem was his insistence that they should use someone besides Hermione. It was no secret that they had a _difficultly complicated_ relationship. For the first few months of the war, they were in a strained relationship. They found comfort in each other and their fiery passions led to some amazing… _after hours_ experiences. It was great for a few months, but then the fighting stopped being sexy. The resentment towards their relationship started to even play out on the battle field. Around the five month mark they decided to call it quits, but sometimes Ron still acted like he was her boyfriend/body guard.

Hermione knew this past relationship was a sensitive subject for Draco. He was, after all, a full blooded male. When she sat him down and told him about their interesting past, he went completely Slytherin on her.

"_**Let me get this straight while my lunch is miraculously still in my stomach… You and Weaslebee made the beast with two backs…and you didn't immediately Avada yourself afterwards?" Draco looked genuinely sick and flushed.**_

_**Hermione was getting annoyed. Cant he take anything seriously? She decided to join him on the bed and quit pacing. If he wasn't taking this seriously than neither would she.**_

"_**Draco, you are absolutely incorrigible. I am trying to have an adult conversation about my past intimacies and I-"**_

"_**Oh dear Merlin above make it stop" He rolled over and threw the blanket over his head.**_

_**Draco was clearly over this conversation the second she mentioned Ronald. He needs to grow up!**_

"_**I thought it was common courtesy to divulge past experiences with the person…with the-… your-… well with your person."**_

_**She could not believe that she had almost called him her boyfriend! Maybe she wasn't cut out for this relationship if she couldnt title it. She needs titles and chapters and classifications. He wants white blank pages in a beautifully bond journal.**_

_**Hermione could feel his eyes on her but she was too embarrassed to look at them. She just needed to get out of this bed and think. Slowly, she started to inch her way to the edge of the bed only to have an arm drag her back. Draco wrapped his broad arms around her and pulled her into him. They sat in silence before she gently lifted her head to look at him.**_

"_**I could be your person. If I had a person it would most certainly be you." His eyes showed a deep emotion that was usually not there. She could take this.**_

"_**And since I am your person I should tell you about my experience. We can start with Pansy. She was quite limber that one. I loved to get her bent ove-" He never got to finish that statement because Hermione had shoved him head first off the bed.**_

"_**I get it. I won't bring up Ron again"**_

The memory of that night just made her miss Draco more. He had spent the last few days in and out of sleep. She knew he won't be so happy to see her when he fully came too. This mission was going to be a bigger sore spot than Ron.

"Hermione, I am serious about this mission" Ron looked tired and overworked. His sister was missing after all.

"I can do it and we both know that Draco wont let anything happen to me. It will be dangerous, but leaving Ginny will be more dangerous. It's a gamble I know but-"

There was a loud knock at the door. Harry jumped a little before he went to answer whoever had come. Ron seemed somewhat glad to have a distraction as his shoulders eased. The room was getting a little intense. Harry pushed the door all the way open and Draco brushed past him.

"I need to talk to my deranged…gir- Granger. Im sure you have both tried to talk her out of this to no avail," He looked at both of the boys for conformation, "now let's talk strategy since she won't be changing her mind"

The boys both looked at him like he was crazy. Harry's eyes got wide at Draco's announcement.

"Please spare me Potter. If she wasn't going to listen to me then she defiantly isn't going to listen to you. I am the one sleeping with her after all."

Hermione could feel her face turning as red as Ron's hair. Dear Lord why did he always do this?

" We..err.. we're just going to go for a few minutes. Be right back Hermione." Ron and Harry ran out of the room. She almost wished she could join them.

Draco's face looked deranged. He was beyond pissed at her.

"I really don't want to do this Granger. You have no fucking idea what is in store for you." He was pinching the bridge of his nose. The room was starting to feel very very small. She needed some courage right now.

"I know that is will be bad, but you will take care of me so there really isn't any-"

"Don't even think about finishing that statement. You do realize that I am a spy, right? What am I going to do jump in front of a crucio and act like all death eaters do that? I'm not some underdog lacky woman. I run half the organization. What the fuck do you think they are going to do when they know I have you? Smile and give me bon bons? You can't even wrap your pure and good mind around the vastness of their evil. Are you ready to deal with the death eater side of me all of the time. That taste you got the other night was me controlled. I just don't-"

Draco had sank to the floor and was running his fingers through his hair. He looked almost as broken as the other night and Hermione felt so guilty. She sighed and sank down on the floor next to him yet again. He lifted his head and met her eyes with a piercing glare.

"You are going to fear me. You will be scared of me and eventually hate me. That is a promise. "

"I can handle it. I can act and deal with whatever you have to do to me! I swear it will be fine. I-"

Draco looked down at his hands and then back into her eyes.

"I'm going to have to hurt you. Touch you. Break you. How can I protect you from myself? I am so scared. THAT is why this mission is so dangerous."

He leaned his head back against the wall and let himself shed tears that were long past due.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I will try to look over my word usage. Sometimes my computer fixes my errors for me without being caught. When you read something so many times you miss little words. I know some of you have stuck by my story since the beginning. Hopefully you will be pleased with the direction its going. It is going to get a little dark and a bit dirty ;) Let me know your thoughts! Review! It's what keeps me motivated and lets me know you like the story. I think I'm going to mix in some other POV. (Maybe some Ginny) Hope you like this chapter! Review!**

Draco was a glutton for punishment these days. His dreams haunted him with distorted images of his best friend, and while awake he spent time with Granger. He knew what was going to happen, but instead of distancing himself, he pretended it wasn't happening. He wanted these last few innocent moments. He knew the price he would pay later. Well…it's later.

As he walked through the eloquently decorated halls, he was forced to swallow the severity of his situation. It was the moment he was most dreading, but only for selfish reasons. These halls use to be filled with laughter and love. These halls led to a grand hall that housed the best parties in all of England. It was at one of these parties that he became a little less cynical and almost believed that love was real. Now, these halls were only a shadow.

His feet led him past the grand hall and up the stairs to the East wing. It was an autopilot walk that he had taken so many times. His heart became heavy as he entered the third door on the right.

Everything was left exactly as remembered. On the night stand there was an old copy of the Daily Prophet left untouched. The room was truly frozen in time, and it haunted him to his core. There was a click of heals coming from the hallway behind him. He knew that sound meant one person. The person he needed and dreaded to see.

"Draco. What do you need?" He spun around to be faced with Daphne, the fiancée to his deceased friend.

"Help Daph. I need your help you barmy woman. You know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't crucial."

Daphne sneered at him, and even with her round belly and sickly face she looked intimidating. She was hands down the most ferocious woman he knew. They had grown up together and even as a child she was scary. Her jet black hair was offset by her electric blue eyes. She had an exotic look but there was something off. She was strong and she was cold.

"Blaise is dead. And you walk into his room as if he will show up at any second. You were there Draco. I CANT help you." She looked hard and focused but he didn't miss the way her hand rubbed her swollen belly. He knew she was in. She was in the second Blaise died.

"I know you had your suspicions. Both of you. I have something that I need…swapped. You do this and you and the baby are placed in Order protection. Go to the market and bring me Red. Give them the brains of the golden trio. You caught her breaking into the Zabini mansion. She annoys you and you want a better woman to be your future nursemaid. You hear gingers are well suited for this work. Bring her to your home and we will come get both of you. She will be here in an hour with false memories for you. We will be back here to collect you in three hours."

Daphne's eyes narrowed to tiny slits and her chin rose in the air. These were not difficult demands, but they were hazardous. He knew she needed the protection and she would do it solely for the last remaining part of Blaise that grew inside of her, but she wouldn't like it.

" You love her, but you are going to trade her? Please tell me you have a plan and aren't going into this blind"

"Must you do this _love_ thing again? That's a weakness I cannot afford. I have a debt to pay, and I am doing this because I know it will keep you safe. I have no true alliance so I will side with the winning side and either way I will keep you in the winning side's good favor. Granger chose her side. I make no such decisions. I survive and that is all I know how to do. Now get your shit together and be ready to move. There is no one that will trifle with you at the market. You know your strength"

"Send my regards to my sister. I know you will be seeing her."

With that he turned and headed toward his apparition point outside the manner. Away from this house that reeked of him. Away from the godson that he would never hold. Toward the safe house where she was being prepared. Toward his own personal Hell.

Things were about to get messy for Draco Malfoy. He was not naïve enough to believe that his two worlds would never intermingle. He was a spy in a war that would surely change the fate of magical society. The problem was that he was a spy for _both_ sides. It was difficult business keeping an even balance without either side figuring him out. His skills had always been best suited for…one on one confrontation. He generally aided in extracting and providing information. That meant that he mostly organized and planned attacks and interrogated prisoners. These jobs were quite easy to cover up and hide behind. He passed enough information to be legitimate to both sides. They didn't question his motives which worked out fine because he had no motives.

It seemed simple enough in the beginning. It was the best of both worlds and guaranteed him a spot with the victors. Draco spotted the familiar tree coming up on his right. The apparition point on Zabini Manor was a bit of a hike. The fresh air was nice however. It calmed him in some strange way. He reached the tree and turned to face the manor one last time. Within seconds he was apparated to the familiar decrepit house of Black. _How lovely. Here come more Weasleys_. The twins were by far the most notorious for their distrust in him. They played nice for Granger's sake.

" Hello Malfoy. You seem a bit peaky. Wouldn't you say, George."

"Most defiantly Fred. Been up to no good have you? You know, I've been meaning to ask about what I can only assume is a ghoul in your room. Been hearing strange groans coming from that room at night. But I feel as if Ive heard those groans before-"

"Too right Georgie. But last time they were coming from ickle Ronnie's room. And we all know about the ghoul there. But-"

"Let us know if you need any help with your ghoul. It does seem as though you have it under control though."

Draco's eyes narrowed at the twins and their antics. They loved getting a rise out him. When he wasn't the particular butt of their jokes, the twins could be rather amusing. They were not amusing him at this particular instance. Fred and George were doubled over in laughter at Draco's expense. Their faces were turning as red as their hair.

"AHHH DRAAAACCOOOO. YESSS" They moaned in unison before hastily exiting the room.

Draco couldn't help but roll his eyes at the whole situation. Everyone in this house acted like they lived in a damn convent. These Gryffindor wouldn't have lasted a night in Slytherin dorms.

He rounded the hallway and headed up to his room. Hopefully he could get a few moments to himself. He missed the solidarity of Malfoy Manor. This place was like a damn zoo.

Walking into the master bedroom, he collapsed on the large lumpy bed. The room was horrendous, but he wasn't in the mood for decoration. He was no house elf. The idea made him smile. _If Granger heard that last thought I would be dead_. Granger. He had been avoiding her all day today. He hoped she would figure out he wanted space. Then again, she was never great at reading him.

After today their relationship would change drastically. It was exhausting. She was exhausting.

He first joined the dark side because it made sense. Your first impulse is to follow your family. They had raised him and taught him things he believed to be true. You trust your family to be correct because they have never led you wrong before. Everything changed after his sixth year. It was then that he started to see clearly for himself.

The honest truth is that he still believed that there were some people who were beneath him. Muggles, Sqibs, Halfbreeds: just to name a few. They were lower than him, but they were still human. They still existed with real emotions and could feel pain. He had no desire to hurt or eliminate them. They could just exist below him. They could live their lives without affecting him. Draco was not a killer. Dumbledore saw that in him. Blaise saw that in him as well. He despised the evil, but generally he wasn't disgusted by the way the dark side talked or interacted. In the end he could never kill his family for the Order, and he would never be completely loyal.

The Order had good points. He was violently against the idea of muggleborns 'stealing' magic. It was a preposterous and uneducated theory. He knew for a fact that Granger was more intelligent than him and it didn't bother him on bit. He would reason to believe that they would be equal in magic if she had grown up like he had. The Order saw how ignorant this idea and this genocide was. They were more logical. The problem is that he lacked that passion and hero complex they all had. Why should he have to defend people who he doesn't even know? He was no martyr. This left him at an impasse.

Truthfully, he had been the reason that many were dead on both sides. He constantly betrayed people of both affiliations. Draco lived by his own moral code in order to survive. He would not endanger or kill his family or the Zabini family, nor would he kill Granger, Potter, or (Merlin help him) the Weasleys. Everyone one else was a pawn for him to protect or to sacrifice. It was truly sick. He heard a tap on the door but made no move to answer it.

Hermione slowly opened the door. He knew it was her without even lifting his head from the pillow.

"I'm sleeping." He said, eyes still closed

"I'm randy"

He opened one eye to asses this statement. She looked at him with a blank face and a raised eyebrow.

"Liar"

He sat up and lean against the bed frame. She took this as an invitation to join him and climbed into bed. Within seconds she was straddling him and her hands were in his hair. _Maybe she wasn't lying?_

"I know I've been acting like I'm not scared, but I am. I trust you, even though you tell me not to. Tell me this will be ok." Her eyes were the most genuinely trusting eyes he had seen. He sighed.

"Hold on to that trust, Princess. You're going to see me do and say things that will make you question me. It will freak you out but always do what I say. Believe that I'm doing it for a reason you don't understand."

His eyes were begging her to listen. He knew she wouldn't, so he did the next best thing. His lips attached to her neck. He peppered light kisses everywhere he could. She stiffened slightly then became putty in his hands. His hands roamed up the back of her sensible blouse. _No bra. That minx._ He could feel her shiver as his hands found her breast. Gently he teased her harden nipples, and laughed as she started to curse. She was rocking against him, and even without taking off her clothes he knew she was soaked. She responded so well to him. It was her biggest turn on.

"Draco, I..ah. Ohhh- _please_. Yes, that's it I-" He tore his mouth away from breast to see what was sooo damn important.

"I love you." He stared at her in silence for a solid thirty seconds before he threw his head back and groaned. She tried to reach out to him but he slapped her hand away.

"Why Woman! Don't _do_ that. You just had to go there."

Hermione rolled off of him and straightened herself up. She seemed on the verge of breaking down as she flattened her hair and readjusted her blouse.

They both quickly sprung out of bed and stood awkwardly next to each other.

"Look. I'm sorry. I just-" His lips cut her off. The kiss was slow and gentle. The room disappeared and all Draco felt was her warm lips and short breath. Kissing her was the most natural thing his lips did. It felt like breathing.

"I'm going to miss kissing you. So much, and you have no idea." He reached over and grabbed his wand. It was time. Daphne was expecting them.

**Obliviate**.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I realize that some of you are confused. The nonlinear style is on purpose. The story will start piecing together as it goes on and the ending will tie it all together. Be patient. I can tell you that the chapters build off each other and all head forward. There are sometimes days and weeks missing but the chapters highlight the major events in chronological order. Hope that helps. This is Ginny's POV. Ginny will give you some insight into Harry that will come into play later. These next few chapters will show sides of Draco and Harry that will be confusing. The style is to make you as in the dark as the main characters are. Makes it more fun to figure out what is REALLY going on. **

Ginny Weasley hated the dark. As a child she had once been locked in the cellar for hours. The twins were playing a prank on her, and they became distracted and forgot they had locked her down there. She sat in the dark for hours before Charlie heard her pathetic sobs and came to her rescue. That was the only time Bill and Charlie beat up on the twins. After that, Fred and George stuck to more amusing but harmless pranks on Ginny.

When she had awoken in the chamber her first year, the first thought she had was how dark it was. Her second thought, after realizing Harry had saved her, was that Harry Potter was the love of her life. She immediately forgot about the dark.

There were heavy footsteps leading toward her cell. She could hear the puddles splashing and the noise seemed to be coming toward her. That was her only way of guessing distance. She had no idea how long she had been here. There was no light. She could barely see her own hand in front of her face. The only light came from the end of a wand. Her capture would venture down to her with his wand and place food in her cell. He stayed with her until she ate it.

He didn't appear to be a death eater. He was a large balding man with rat-like features. Overall he appeared harmless and generally dim. He asked her what her name was so he could tell the clients. Ginny knew that she needed to come up with something. She answered back in French. Fleur had spoken enough around her that she could mimic her to perfection. Even if she was speaking gibberish, she could sound realistic. The guard accepted this and assumed she was some slag from France. Twice she overheard him muttering to himself about business being slow. So this was a business.

Unfortunately she was not alone. She shared the cell with some Slytherin girl Harry's year. All day long she had to listen to her insistent whining about her life and her woes. She was glad that she couldn't see the girls face. It was easier to ignore her and pretend she was an annoying delusion of her mind. Her cell mate rambled all day every day. Maybe she had actually died and was in her own personal hell. Ginny hated girls. They made her crazy. Last night she had figured out how she knew Ginny as they ate their dinner. She started rambling about Harry and how she knew Ginny looked familiar. Ginny elbowed her in the head. Luckily, the guard wasn't paying attention. Her roommate had been quiet since then. So overall she had no complaints at the present moment.

In the silence, she was able to figure out a plan. She had joined the battle after receiving startling information from a Werewolf in question. Draco had planned these attacks and he had not spoken a word to the Order. It was fishy to say the very least. She immediately appirated to the battle field to fill in Harry, only to fall victim herself. Next thing she knew, she was alone in this cell in the dark.

Harry always had much better rapport with Draco. Ginny thought he was a slimy git. A slimy git who was tolerable because Hermione loved him. They were good for each other and she was happy to see her best friend so happy. That didn't mean she trusted him. At all. Hermione did have bad taste in men. There was Cormac and… well Ron. Her brother was the king of fools. That relationship was just painful to watch. She once heard them through the walls. It was like listening to a professor give a lecture…on how to pleasure. It made Ginny physically ill. She recounted the story for Harry and then asked if he wanted to play naughty professor. He turned such a hilarious shade of green. Poor lad.

The footsteps were almost at the cell. She could hear more than one voice this time and she became nervous. A group meeting did not seem like it would end well for Ginny. Quickly she jumped to her feet and paced her cell. The voices were closer and one sounded familiar. _Damn it. _Ginny rocked back onto the heels of her feet and tried to relax her tense body. Laying on a stone floor make for stiff muscles, and her physique was the only asset she had to make a break for it. And she was sure as HELL not going down without a fight. Ginny on survival mode was like a rabid dog. She was all fight, not flight. There was a beam of light streaming from the end of the wand. It hurt her eyes to adjust to the room suddenly bursting forth in light. When her eyes adjusted the first thing she noticed was Hermione Granger. Her capture was standing next to a scary as fuck looking woman. She looked dark and cold and generally had a don't mess with me attitude. The woman was holding onto a chain that led to her best friend. Who WOULD NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT.

"Getdup girly. You'se be goin with Mz. Zabini." The capture threw his hand into his pocket and pulled out a key. The rickety iron gates opened and Ginny stood in shock. What was happening? What was happening?

He reached into the cell dragging Ginny out by her hair and slapped cuffs onto her wrists. She was immediately handed over to the woman and exchanged for Hermione. _Exchanged_….. Ginny saw red.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING CODE GREEN ME! DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME HERMIONE. WHOSE PLAN WAS THIS! GET ME BACK IN THERE!"

Ginny was thrashing kicking and clawing at anyone and everyone who came near her. The woman protectively placed a hand over her belly and pulled out her wand. The capture threw in Hermione as he warded off Ginny's fist. Ginny clawed onto the iron bars for dear life. She would NOT be traded.

"FUCK YOU HERMIONE! DON'T DO THIS TO ME! IM BETTER SUITED FOR A PRISIONER OF WAR. PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU DON'T LET ME LEAVE."

Hermione was sobbing loudly as she turned away from Ginny and headed toward the back of the cell. Ginny noticed her grimace at her appearance but brushed that thought aside. That bitch was code greening her. Ginny wouldn't be able to live with herself. Hermione turned and made eye contact with her one last time. Her eyes were pleading with her. For what, she didn't know. From behind, she felt the sting of a curse and fell into a comfortable void.

Her head hurt. It was like the worst hangover headache ever times a thousand. Her head felt like a lead brick. Opening her eyes was out of the question. She wiggled her toes and fingers to make sure they were still there. Check. Taking a gasp of air, she tried to squint one eye open. Her vision was blurry and watery.

"Gin. Just wait. I'll get a healer. Try to sleep a little longer."

The darkness took her again. When she woke up a second time she was in no pain. There was an annoying beeping sound coming from the machines around her. Ginny slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was in her bedroom at the Burrow, but she was hooked up to all kinds of machines. Harry was sleeping at the foot of her bed, and his snoring was rattling her room. She let him sleep for a few more moments before she couldn't take his snores a second longer. She lifted her foot and poked Harry with her big toe. He grunted and sat up immediately. Upon figuring out the cause of his awakening, he grumbled.

"Your toe, Gin? That is just plain vile. Here Ive been waiting and you just-"

"A Code Green Harry? Im a big girl, and I am much better suited to be a POW than Hermione. I can not believe you traded your best friend for your girlfriend."

Harry's face turned sheet white and he shrunk into his seat. Shit. She shouldn't have opened her mouth.

"That was horrible. I am sorry love. It must be these meds. Im talking like Draco Bloody Malfoy." She sighed as she said this. Harry's body visibly relaxed, and he sent her a small smile. He crawled into bed and under the covers. His arms wrapped around her body careful to avoid the tubes.

"You had some broken bones and cuts that healed incorrectly and got infected. They rebroke your arm and reset your nose. You should be out for about a week. Hermione volunteered herself, and Draco is taking care of every-"

"Wait! I have to tell you about what I learned. He was the-" Ginny sprang up and Harry cut her off.

"One who organized the attacks? I know. Its fine. Just focus on healing." He played with her hair and ran his hand up and down her arm.

"You always smell so perfect. I could find you immediately, even in complete darkness. Your body, your scent, draws me to you. It is like, chemically, my body knows to find you."

Those words had a bigger effect on Ginny than he will ever know. Harry could find her in the dark.

"I love you, you big cheesy dope."

She rolled over so that they were face to face. His beautiful green eyes were staring into her heart. It beat so rapidly her machine started to make loud beeps. A healer Ginny didn't recognize busted into the room and adjusted the machines. Harry scooted away from Ginny, fearing that he had hurt her in some way. The healer turned to Ginny and took her pulse.

"Miss. Weasley, please try to refrain from any sort of…simulation." The healer looked uncomfortable.

Merlin, she thought that Harry was… that is priceless. Just being in Harry's presence was arousing. Harry looked like he was going to vomit. His face was changing colors so rapidly and he seemed to be having trouble making words. Harry was such a prude sometimes.

"You heard the lady. No more playing naughty healer Mr. Potter. Your special wand can't cure me."

Harry turned vibrant red and jumped out of her bed. With a huff he stormed from the room. Ginny couldn't help the laughter that erupted from her. She had tears running down her eyes at what just happened. The healer didn't look too pleased as she continued her testing in quiet. It took Ginny a few seconds to regain her composure. She sat in silence as the healer read her charts and scribbled things down.

Harry was the one. He knew and loved her without pause. They were in complete sync and she honestly felt empty without him. She thought it was a school girl crush, but he was the perfect man for her. There were a lot of things she would change, but his flaws and vulnerability made him real. And Ginny needed him to feel at all. She was constantly high strung and controlling. She showed no mercy or emotion, but Harry made her feel human. He crawled into her heart and planted a seed. She needed him to live.

It was really unfair how much she was in the way. Harry was the chosen one and he would be the one at the end of the story. The hero who marched into battle alone. She held him back from his destiny and his mission. Loving her made him like everyone else. He was vulnerable and thinking about her before his mission. She was, essentially, keeping the Dark Side in power. Whenever Ginny read about epic heroes, she hated the damsel in distress. That dumb bitch was going to ruin it for everyone. She was selfish. Ginny was that dumb bitch. She was keeping others from freedom because she wanted more time with her boyfriend. Trading out for Hermione just proved this theory to Ginny.

The healer sighed and sat at the end of Ginny's bed. She was shaking her head and closing her chart. Her eyes looking into Ginny and showed pity. This was not going to be good.

"Miss Weasley. It appears that you are in fact healing nicely. However, it also appears that you are 3 weeks pregnant."

Ginny's eyes watered and her cold tough exterior took over. She could feel her heart hardening. After two seconds of panic she relaxed her body and looked into the healer's eyes.

"Get rid of it."


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Hey everyone. This is the end of Ginny for awhile. We will be back to Hermione next chapter. This will all play into what is happening next.**

It had been 32 hours and 16 minutes since Ginny made her decision. It took her seconds to know what she had to do. If there was one thing that Ginny did well, it was protecting the people she loved. She didn't have a choice in this matter.

Her childhood room seemed a lot smaller these days. She remembered when her mum put in her "big girl" bed. She remembered when her biggest fear was the space under her bed. This room seemed so big back then. Her little imagination made this room seem like a whole different world. She was so young and innocent. Her baby is young and innocent. Unfortunately, the world they lived in ruins things young and innocent.

Her machines continued to beep. It annoyed her at first, but now it soothed her. It reminded her of the ticking of time.

Beep…beep..beep.

Harry had visited her twice since she found out. The first time was a blur. She was heavily sedated and in serious shock. Laying in the bed was about as far as she was functioning. Harry sat by her and tried to sooth her. He was talking but Ginny wasn't listening. All she could see was his face, and all she pictured was his face on a little baby. She couldn't have a conversation with him if she was picturing his baby. When he left she told the Healer that she didn't want Harry to know, and she didn't want Harry to see her anymore. And then everything just stopped.

She didn't eat or sleep. She listened to the beeping of the machines. It was her religion. It was the only thing that made sense.

At one point, Ginny was vaguely aware of a disturbance outside of her room. She could tell it was Harry's voice yelling at the healer. He wanted to see her. Ginny shifted in her bed. She tried to cover her head with the pillow. She needed to focus on the beeps. The yelling stopped and the door opened. Ginny lifted her head from the pillow and was met with the face of her healer. She looked pained as she started to read her charts.

"I didn't tell him, so don't worry… He knows something is wrong though."

Ginny glared at the healer and turned onto her side. She didn't need to be guilted into tell him. This woman had no idea. NONE. They sat in silence for a few seconds. There was a soft mutted cry coming from the hallway outside her room. Her heart shattered into a million pieces. She knew Harry thinks she blames him or that he did something. Trading her must have killed him. He effectively lost his sister and now Ginny. She turned toward the healer.

"He is going to sit outside my door. Make sure someone checks on him." This was the first time she spoke since making her decision.

"I'll tell him you just don't want him to see you in pain. He will be told there is nothing to worry about," the healer stopped and looked hard at Ginny, "I hope there is someone to take care of _you_."

This made Ginny unbelievably sad, because there was no one to comfort her. Hermione was gone. She was killing Harry's baby. The healer seemed to understand. She left Ginny to her own thoughts. That was 8 hours ago.

Harry wanted babies. He wanted so many babies that they would make her family seem small. He wanted Ginny's childhood and siblings and loving parents. Honestly, Ginny didn't really care what she got as long as Harry was happy. He would want her to keep it, like his parents did. This baby would be so loved. The price of having this baby might mean the future of this world. He would still take it. That was too much pressure and it wasn't a fair thing to ask of Harry. His mission wasn't going anywhere. She told herself that was the reason to get rid of the baby. It would keep Harry from his destiny. Plus, there was plenty of time for babies later. She repeated this to herself over and over again. It was a lie.

If she was being completely honest with herself, she wasn't keeping it for another reason. She didn't want to have a baby without Harry. She didn't want to LIVE without Harry. This baby was force her here, and she would be forced to deal with his death over and over again. She couldn't follow Harry onto the battlefield. She would be stuck in hiding. She couldn't stay here with a baby and no Harry. It was selfish. But she _couldn't_ do it.

She was told that she had a lot in common with Lily Potter. She got the red hair and fierce attitude they both shared. It wasn't until this moment she truly wished Lily was around for _her_, not just Harry. She would have known what to say to Ginny. She would understand, and maybe convince Ginny to follow her decisions. But then again, Lily and James died because of their decisions. But Harry was here with her. This all just made Ginny's head hurt. She just wanted to cry, but her body wouldn't let her.

Beep…beep…beep…beep…

"Knock, Knock, little weasel. I brought food, and if you're anything like your brother than I better drop this plate and run for cover." The door swung open and in walked her least favorite person.

Draco looked a little worse for the wear. His scruff needed immediate attention. His hair looked in need of a wash. Hermione was clearly dropped as a child.

"Get OUT, Malfoy!" Ginny was not in the mood at all. Her yelling didn't seem to deter him in the slightest. He settled down at the edge of her bed and placed the plate of food on her lap.

"Potter told me you aren't eating. So stuff it in Weaselette." Ginny looked toward the door.

"He has left his post for a few minutes. I told him I would feed you. Please don't make me force it in you."

Ginny glared him down. He visibly shuttered. She decided against calling him on his bluff and nibbled on the bread.

"What's going on with Hermione? Tell me or I'll stop eating." Draco glanced at the door, almost hoping that Potter would return.

"Open your fucking trap, Malfoy!"

"Im sorry you were in market. Its..- unhumane to be kept in darkness. She is out of the market, but she is still surrounded by darkness. Just—a different kind. I have a handle on this. Trust me."

She could tell he was keeping things from her. He was too relaxed under her glare. Sure fire sign.

"I don't know why you ask us all to trust you. I DON'T trust you. You have too many secrets and too many coincidences. I think you would save yourself before you save any of us. I don't trust you. You are up to something, and I don't know what it is. So keep one eye fucking open, Malfoy. I. Do. Not. Trust. You."

"You are ruthless. Too bad you were a blood traitor or we might have been good friends." Ginny rolled her eyes and looked toward the door. Harry needed to get him out.

Thinking of Harry made her sick to her stomach. Thinking of Hermione in the market made her sick as well.

Draco shifted at the end of the bed. He was debating saying something. Ginny ate her plate in silence, and avoided his eye contact.

"Hermione made me check on you. I guess you were pretty bent out of shape when the swapped you."

Ginny choked on her bread. Ok. He had her attention.

"You don't want to like me. But you do like me, and it makes you crazy. We are cut from the same cloth, Weasley. She is ok….but I don't think that is why you are held up in here. If you tell me, I would keep it to myself. Even if I said anything, no one would believe me."

Ginny picked at the last remaining piece of her sandwich. He had a bit of a point, but saying it out loud made it real. She shook her head.

"How about I guess?" he watched her nod slightly and look toward the door.

"You are getting rid of Harry's baby, but you cant tell him. He would never forgive you or understand why you had no choice. You are choosing your survival and the world's survival over your relationship. You are killing your baby, and you are feeling like a horrible person. Like I said, we are cut from the same cloth."

Ginny looked right into Draco's eyes and saw that he understood. He understood it ALL. That was all it took for the dam to break and the tears to fall. Ginny sobbed and groaned. Her body shook and she mixed her sobs with screams. It was a verbal show of the internal trauma this was causing her.

Draco sat at the end of the bed and let her cry.

Ginny cried until there was nothing left. She had no energy so she just laid there. She felt helpless in this situation.

"I know what it's like to choose your own survival. This feeling will pass."

Ginny grunted in response. There was no way she would ever feel good about this. They sat in silence, both unsure how to move forward from here. They were spared by the healer entering the room.

"Ginny. It is time. Are you ready, because I can come back?"

Ginny shook her head and sat up in the bed. She was finally ready to face her fate. What Draco did next startled her the most.

Draco stood, and with a nod toward Ginny, he headed for the door. Instead of leaving however, he turned back around and sat next to her.

"Ok Ginny. I'm going to have you drink this potion. Afterwards there will be some bleeding. There are some medications to take tonight and then it will be over."

Ginny grabbed the potion handed to her and downed it. Lying back down, she looked off toward the door. She wished Harry could be with her, but Draco would have to work. She felt him grab her hand, and for a second she understood Hermione. Just for a second.

"This doesn't mean I like you Malfoy." She stated dead pan.

Draco sighed and nodded his head.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

**AN: Draco shows a nice side. Remember this for the next chapter. Death Eater chapter coming up soon. **


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Ok guys. The time shift happens in the bold. The bold is the past memory. Normal font is the present. **

**Warning: Drug use/abuse/sexual scenes**

Hermione spent a majority of her time lying in the white marble tub. She wouldn't necessarily be bathing, but rather drowning out the world. The running jets were loud enough to be the white noise she needed to think. All day she would lay in bed then lay in the bath. When her mind was particularly cluttered; she would stretch out her leg and turn the faucets on and off with her toes. It was really childish, but crucial if she wanted to keep her mind from driving her crazy. Hermione was NOT the kind of person you wanted cooped up all day with no human interaction. Maybe Ginny was right when she said that she was a better prisoner than her.

Hermione thought that watching Ginny get swapped would be the worst part of her mission. Even saying this now, she realized it was an idiotic thing to think. For some reason she chose to believe that everything would work out. She reviewed the situation in her head and came up with a highly logical set of events that would probably happen. That all basically went out the window when Draco hit her with a memory charm.

**She woke up in Zabini manor completely convinced that she was caught snooping. Daphne Greengrass had her tied up in a spare bedroom. She looked a lot different than she had at Hogwarts. There was an undeniable edge to her, but Hermione also sensed an air of pity. Pity? A greasy man entered the room. He reminded Hermione of an oversized rat.**

"**Ok. You've seen the little bint. I want to go to the market. I hear you have some selection currently that has spiked my interest. I want the little red haired one. I hear they make the best nursemaids." Daphne glared down the man. **

**If he was suspicious, he didn't really show it. The only thing he showed was acute interest in Daphne's breasts. That didn't go unnoticed by the woman, not at all.**

**Within seconds she sent a Curcio his way. She barely lifted her arm. There was an unnatural look to her as she stood absolutely still, wand extended. He was clawing at his face and screaming. Hermione pity the man for the pain she knew all too well. The spell lifted almost as quickly as it was cast. **

"**Take me there. I won't wait any longer."**

**The man slowly made his way to two feet and pulled out his wand. He cast a spell on Hermione to verify her memories. The images of her entering the manor danced before her eyes. It clearly was enough. Grabbing on to Hermione, he pulled out a key and handed it to Daphne. She smiled wickedly and touched her wand to Hermione's head. She silently cast a spell, and instantly Hermione recovered all of her memories. The man seemed to be oblivious to the whole transaction. With a nod, Daphne grabbed onto both parties and they were gone.**

**Overall, the code green was successful. Ginny was clearly caught off guard by the whole mission. The words of Ginny still stung when she thought about them, yet again. Ginny just doesn't understand what she meant to the Order. She was always too worried about everyone else. When they left, she was immediately surrounded by darkness.**

**There was another woman in the cell, but she was huddled up in the back. Throughout the whole transaction, she stayed eerily quiet. It wasn't until the light started to leave the cells did she even catch sight of someone else. Maybe she was sleeping? They sat in darkness for quite awhile. Hermione wasn't sure if it was days or hours. The dark was playing tricks on her eyes. She was trying to see, but her other senses were over stimulated. There was water dripping somewhere and the air smelt damp and stale. She began to try to figure out where she was.**

**Her first idea was a sewer system of sorts. There was clearly tunneling and water. Her other idea was more of a dungeon because the air didn't really smell like sewage. This continued for a long time. It kept her mind busy. That was hours, maybe days, ago. **

**Hermione sat on the floor of her cell and picked at the loose thread in her shirt. Sheer boredom was making her feel panicky. Draco should have come by now. Her cellmate was grumbling under her breath. It was creeping her out, quite honestly. Suddenly, her ear picked up a faint sound. Someone was coming for her. Thank God. This hell hole was making her crazy.**

**There were footsteps coming closer, and it wasn't long before the light from a wand was shining into the cell. It was so bright Hermione almost puked. The vast darkness was now full of light and she was met with the disheveled face of Draco Malfoy. He wasn't alone, however. The rat man was standing to his left and a young beautiful woman was draped off his right arm. She was slim with long shinny black hair. She looked like Daphne, but in miniature. The only difference was the **_**clear**_** magical…enhancements. Astoria Greengrass was beyond beautiful. She seemed to be enjoying herself as she wrapped her arms around Draco. This shifted Hermione's focus onto Draco. Her heart jumped in her throat at the sight of him. Her eyes drank him in; she almost didn't notice her cell mate jump up and head from the door.**

"**Draaaco. I knew you would find me here. It's been dreadful stuck down here with mudbloods and blood traitors. I'm sorry. I've learned my place."**

**Hermione didn't know what startled her more: seeing that her cellmate was Pansy, or seeing her groveling on her hands and knees at Draco's feet. What the HELL was going on?**

**Draco sneered at Pansy as Astoria giggled. The rat man looked uncomfortable. **

"**Tell me, Pansy. What will you do for me if I let you go?" He was ignoring Hermione's presence completely.**

**Pansy started to whine as she pawed at Draco's feet.**

"**Draco, just let the poor girl go. Locking her in this cell seems a bit harsh. She learned her lesson. Besides, look at the unfortunate girl she is living with. Poor dear is completely hideous. She is probably a Mudblood."**

**Draco stiffened slightly and snapped his head toward the rat looking man.**

"**Why was I not IMMEDIATELEY informed about this new member of the market? This is no regular Mudblood. This is **_**THE**_** Mudblood. Its Fucking Granger!" Draco was fuming as he ripped the key from the man's hands.**

"**I will be taking both! The Dark Lord will being hearing about this."**

**As soon as the door was opened, Pansy flew out and collapsed at Astoria's feet. She was kicked immediately.**

**Draco quickly walked into Hermione's cell. This whole time she was shocked into silence. **_**What was happening!?**_** Draco grabbed a chunk of hair and pulled Hermione toward him. Her ear was resting against his mouth.**

"**OWW. What the HELL!"**

"**Just shut up. Please shut up." He muttered into her ear as he dragged her out. **

"**Stun them both. I don't need them knowing how to get to headquarters."**

**Hermione was too slow to stop it.**

The knock on the bathroom door was enough to rip Hermione from her memories. It all came crashing back to her rather abruptly. She quickly leaned forward and turned off the tap.

"Yes?" Her voice sounded scratchy and pathetic, even to her. It had been awhile since she used it.

She heard a long pause and then the door creaked open. Draco wasted no time entering the bathroom. She knew he shouldn't be here. He knew he shouldn't be here. Still, he entered with purpose.

He never said a word to her. Instead, he walked over the white marble bathroom counter across from the tub and sat on it crossing his legs. He rested his head in his hands and looked at her. He made no move to speak and neither did she. The stared at each other and waiting for things to be different.

Hermione wasn't sure if there was any way to go back.

**She woke up to the sun shining in from a huge window. **_**Where was she? **_**It took her a moment to recall everything that happened. With fake memories dreams and stuns; it was no wonder she was so damn confused.**

**The room was elaborately decorated. It reminded Hermione of those old mansions that had expensive art and décor on the walls that held no purpose but to make the owners look rich. The bed she was on looked like it was draped in fine silk. It was disgusting how fancy the random bedroom was. Everything in here cost more than her parent's house.**

** The only problem, there was no door. What was going on? Just then the walls…opened. It was like the room of requirement. The room's door appeared. It was big and oak with intricate details carved into it. She got out of bed and walked toward the door just as it swung open.**

"**Morning." Draco waltzed into the room with an apple. Taking a huge bite, he turned and walked toward the large wardrobe. He seemed to miss the confused look on Hermione's face.**

"**WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"**

**This brought Draco to a screeching halt. He looked over at Hermione and rolled his eyes.**

"**Oh, don't give me that shit. Like I could have told you the plan ahead of time." His eyes wandered toward her attire. She was in an oversized tshirt and a pair of his boxers.**

"**I told Tibby to make you comfortable, not look like a hobo."**

**Hermione picked up a pillow and chucked it as hard as she could at him. He dodged it easily.**

"**Im at your house, right? Is this your room? What is the plan? I want-"**

"**Yes. No. And stop asking questions" He chomped at his apple and continued to pull out clothes from the wardrobe.**

**Hermione sighed and relaxed into the bed. Her mind kept repeating what Ginny last said to her. She wished she could have made Ginny understand. This was what was best.**

"**Can you check on Ginny? She was very…upset about all of this."**

**He muttered to himself as he compared two dresses. He looked up at her question.**

"**Yes. I can do that." Deciding on a red dress, he threw it at her face.**

"**Put this on."**

**The red dress looked far sexier than something she would own. She looked at him oddly. **

"**Come on then. I've already seen your bits and pieces. No need for modesty."**

**She rolled her eyes at him for that comment. The dress was rather snug compared to her comfortable clothes from earlier, and holy MERLIN….**

"**I am not wearing this dress. It is scandalously short and exposes my body. How about I just walk around naked? It would be far more comfortable."**

**Draco froze as she said this. There was a brief moment of panic and then his face was void of any emotions. Clearly that comment hit a little too close to home for him.**

"**That's the point of the dress. Just…stop asking questions." He finished his apple and left the core on the dresser. His attention was now on Hermione and he inspected the dress.**

**Tibby appeared out of thin air. It was still amazing to her to see elf magic. They were truly fascinating creatures. Tibby nodded at Hermione before running off toward Draco.**

"**Tibby. You have the potions ready, correct?" Draco sneered. Tibby nodded vigorously.**

"**There is really NO need to be so rude to your house elf! I thought that you had more sense than th-" Hermione was cut off by a hex to the face. **

**Her lip immediately started to swell as blood poured down it. Hermione was sheet white as she brushed her lip. Did he just hit her?**

**She didn't have time to respond as another spell hit her in the face. This time it was her eye that was swelling. She could barely open it. Her shock had left her, and now she was in a rage.**

"**HOW DARE YOU HIT ME!" **

**The room shook with the power of her magic. She was pissed and her face was covered in blood. She tried to wipe it away, but it kept running. Then it stopped.**

**Draco handed her a towel to wipe the remaining blood off her face. He looked hard and cold. His face was unreadable.**

"**You needed to look pretty beat up before I take you. We are going into the pit. Just do what I tell you. If you want to live. Do. Whatever. I. Tell. You." His eyes were iced over.**

**She nodded her head slowly and accepted his outstretched hand. He opened his palm and handed her a small white pill. She just stared at it, unsure if it was meant for her. He nodded.**

"**It will help relax you." He transfigured two glasses of water and handed her the glass and the pill. She downed the water and slightly hesitated before taking the pill. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him take two pills as well.**

**The door appeared and Draco opened it and walked out into the hallway. Hermione was right on his heels. They took a left and then entered the room at the end of the walk.**

**There was smoke pouring out as well as an overwhelming smell of alcohol. She choked a little at the smell.**

"**Welcome to the Pit." Draco sneered.**

Draco stared at her for a few minutes. She thought about covering up, but it would take too much effort. She lay there in the tub, waiting for him to make his move.

"I told you this would happen." His eyes weren't cold anymore. They looked broken. He looked broken.

"I Know."

"I can answer your questions now." It came off as almost a whisper.

Hermione was smart. She knew what had happened. He had to show her off, and not as a prisoner but a plaything. If she was his prisoner then he had to produce information. If she was his plaything then all he had to do was brag. No one would touch his toy so to speak.

She also knew he couldn't have warned her. If she knew then it would be too obvious that it was a plan. He did what was necessary. He stopped it before it past the point of no return.

"Astoria. I want to know about that."

Draco was clearly not expecting that answer. He immediately looked away and pinched the bridge of his nose. She could hear his let out a low breath.

"Astoria starts with Blaise. You see, the Greengrass family had nothing to offer the Dark Lord. Other families had money or power, but all the Greengrass family had were their daughters. After a nasty defeat, the Dark Lord called upon his favor. He wanted the girls for who knows what. Blaise was in love with Daphne. I tried to stop him but it was futile. I had to protect my brother, so I asked for the sisters for Blaise and me. The Dark Lord gave them to us on the sole condition that they be used to produce an heir. Daphne was already pregnant, so it worked out. I've been trying to dodge my bullet ever since."

That was not the answer she was expecting. He was clearly waiting for a response. She didn't know _how_ to respond to that, but she did know what it meant.

"Have you slept with her?"

"Yes"

"Were you having sex with her when you were having sex with me?" She looked him right in the eyes. She needed to hear him say it.

"Yes" His face was completely defeated but his eyes bore the truth.

** The Pit was completely vile. It was a party or maybe and orge? Male death eaters were scattered throughout the room drinking and smoking who knows what. There was loud music that she couldn't identitfy. Women dressed like her were lying all over the men. Some were on laps while other hung off the shoulders and feet. They were turning to greet Draco, however.**

**Draco entered the room and everyone seemed to take notice. Few even looked her way. It was like looking into a glimpse of his other life. Everyone was nodding at him or shaking his hand. Hermione couldn't remember him ever being this popular in school.**

**The drug hit her quickly. The room and everyone in it got kind of fuzzy. The noise wasn't so loud and everything had a relaxed edge to it. She kind of liked it. Draco finally came back to her side. She hadn't realized that she hadn't moved. It made her giggle.**

**Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and brushed her hair to the side. He gently left kisses up and down her neck, focusing in on her pulse points.**

"**I know you love it when I do that." His voice was husky and deep. She felt herself blush. This only egged him on. His hands crept under her dress slightly.**

"**Malfoy. How about you let us have a go." Marcus Flint was eyeing Hermione up and down.**

**She looked over at Draco and he just shrugged.**

"**Good luck getting her going like me. The slut loves it dirty." Both boys laughed before exchanging women.**

**Hermione felt herself being led to the sofa, but her eyes remained fixed on Draco. The blonde that was previously with Marcus was now kissing and touching Draco. Draco's eyes remained fixed on Hermione.**

**It was Marcus's lips that drew Hermione's attention. He was kissing and touching her mouth and neck, but it felt wrong. His hands were too big and his lips were wet and sloppy. It was like he was trying to eat her face. The drug stopped her from doing anything but observe. It was fuzzy. It was weird.**

**She felt herself being roughly pushed onto the sofa. Flint was glaring at her while he whipped out his wand.**

"**Stupid Mudblood Bitch. Are you playing hard to get with me?" His eyes were glazed over and his words slurred a little.**

**Shit.**

**His wand flew out of his hand, and Marcus spun around to see who took it. Behind him stood Draco. His eyes were iced over.**

"**There is a reason I get the best whores. You don't know how to handle them….Watch and learn something."**

**Draco walked over to Hermione and sat down. Pulling her on to him, he had her straddle him. Within seconds, his hands were roaming her body under her dress. She could feel them up her thighs and down her back. His lips kept her busy. This felt right and so damn good. The drugs egged her on as she tried to fine some release. She felt her hips rubbing into him and a loud moan came out. **

_**Wait, was that her?**_

**The room erupted in laughter as Draco pushed Hermione off him. He had those icy eyes and a huge smirk on his face. He wiped his lips like they were dirty and then stood up.**

"**Looks like it's time to take this one home."**

**Hermione felt the familiar tug of side along apparition. **

"I'm so sorry. I don't have a choice in ANY of this! You think I wanted to do all of this shit? I have to keep up appearances. It's not easy being a spy. I have to make sacrifices."

"DO NOT call Astoria a sacrifice. Yes, sleeping around and being boozed up is such a damn sacrifice." Hermione's lips were set. She was furious.

"What would you have me do? Tell Voldemort off. Sorry, I don't feel like it anymore. Talk to you later!"

Draco hopped off the table and walked over to the bath. His arms were crossed and he looked down at her.

Hermione looked up at him. He was a mess. _Who was he anymore?_ They just looked at each other for awhile. Draco decided to speak first.

"I did what you asked. I talked to Ginny. I think she is going to be ok now." His eyes were distant.

She had forgotten about Ginny. She had forgotten, but he had not. He followed through on his promise. The thought made Hermione break.

She hysterically cried, and she felt herself sinking into the tub water. She just wanted to slip under the surface. She was swallowed by grief.

Draco jumped into the tub. His expense attire was forgotten as he plunged in, clothes and all. Hermione felt his arms warp around her pruny naked frame. The water was spilling off the side as he held her. She cried into his soaked clothes and held on for dear life.

One thought was clear. She still loved this man.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Hello my faithful readers! This is almost the end of the sad stuff…I promise. Some major events are coming up soon..stick around. **

Harry found himself, yet again, at an emergency Order meeting. It seemed that everything was an emergency anymore. This was the third time this past week he was awoken out of bed to race over to Order Headquarters. He was worn down, and quite honestly very tired. Sleep had eluded him lately. There was just too much on his mind.

Hermione had been captured for a total of 11 days. The whole mission ate at him constantly. She was his sister and best friend. Hell. He even became friends with Malfoy for her. Hermione was tough though. She was the reason they always survived so many missions in the past. She was smart and quick on her feet. If anyone could survive, it would be that mental woman.

Kingsley was running these meetings lately. Remus spent his sitting at Tonks bedside. No one really knew how much time she had, and it was a very sensitive subject with just about everyone. Her mother was just as inconsolable as Lupin. It was really hard to watch. Numbers kept dwindling. It was the sad but true fact of this war. Few want to fight for the better world; they just want to live in it. He never had the option to go into hiding. Honestly, he couldn't blame others for taking that option. It had its appeal.

Voldemort's supporters were growing by the day. They were taking in all kinds of foreign and undomesticated creatures. Vampires as well as banshees were rumored to have made a pact with the dark side. That was the reason for this particular meeting.

Harry didn't really care for this information, but it wasn't the most startling news he had heard lately. Ron had been running covert operations at the ministry. Once a week he would take his team back to these meetings to report information. Ron had really grown in the past few years. He basically ran a whole unit alone. He was really impressed with Ron's maturity, but at times he still missed the old Ron. That Ron would be fighting with Hermione and worrying about his next meal. That Ron would still be hanging around Harry. This Ron was always gone.

This meeting was dragging on. Harry decided to grab a seat in the back in hopes that everyone wouldn't notice him and try to strike up conversation. So far it was working out well. Ginny was sitting up front with Draco. These past few days they seemed to tolerate eachother's presence. It was a strange sight indeed, but he was glad she was out of bed and moving around. It took her a few days longer to recover from her injuries. Harry still didn't know what happened to cause Ginny to shut him out, but Draco told him that she would be ok. From what he knew about the market… well he was happy Ginny was functioning at all. His guilt was nearly suffocating him, but the two of them were fighters. They would be ok.

Michael Corner was spending a lot of extra time with Ginny lately. He seemed to sense the rift between Ginny and Harry and tried to step in. It was laughable because they weren't going to break up. Whenever things got messy they stepped back and gave the other space to breathe. She did the same thing when Dumbledore died. She was there a few steps behind him. She was always ready to catch him when he fell. He didn't have a problem doing the same.

"That is all I have to report today. I will update you soon."

This startled Harry out of his thoughts. Ok the meeting was over. People were lingering a bit. It had been a few days since we had been together, but still it was annoying. He heard Ginny laugh loudly at something Draco said. Draco had a disinterested look on his face, but he smiled gently at Ginny when she touched his shoulder.

The monster inside him growled a little at this, but Harry knew it was nothing. If Draco wasn't so in love with Hermione, then he would be more than a little bit worried. It took him some time to warm up to Draco. Hermione spent the majority of her time with him so if he had any intention of seeing her he knew that he would have to make an effort. Surprisingly, he found Malfoy to be tolerable. They both were adults and the petty childish rivalry stayed in the past. He was an excellent dueler and overall provided useful information and skill to the Order.

"Hello Harry!" Neville's voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Hello Mate. Interesting meeting, don't you think?"

Neville nodded and grabbed a seat next to Harry. He was oblivious to the mood Harry was in. They sat in silence for a few seconds. Harry really wasn't in the mood for small talk.

"Boy. Ginny sure seems to be hanging around Malfoy lately."

Harry followed his gaze to the other couple sitting in the room. He scoffed at the mention of them. He was too tired to be gossiping about _his_ girlfriend. He gave Neville a clear look that conveyed his feelings on the matter.

"Right, well I have the book you asked for. Luna said to contact her if you need anything else." Neville shifted in his seat while flipping through the book.

"Seems a bit strange to me that you want to read this…chick novel." He immediately blushed at his comment.

It would appear a bit…odd. This was an old folklore about Helena Ravenclaw. It was a love story that many young witches read, especially Ravenclaw women. The witches claim it is based off a true story. Hermione told him all about it before she left. He figured he would give it a shot.

"I..err- wanted to read it to Ginny..?" Lying was never something Harry was good at, but Neville seemed to buy it.

Harry grabbed the book from him and stood up. He looked over at Draco and nodded his head toward the exit.

"Tell Luna thanks for me." He smiled at Neville and was off.

Draco followed Harry out of the door and into the hallway. Draco silently threw up some charms to block out wondering sound. They needed a bit of privacy.

"I need you to get this to Hermione." Draco narrowed his eyes at the small book in his hand. Harry could feel the wheels turning in his head.

"Does Hermione fancy a bit of light reading? It seems strange to me Potter." He smirked a bit.

Harry rolled his eyes and handed off the book. He wasn't going to tell Draco his mission. He trusted him, but only Ron and Hermione knew about this. It was better this way.

Harry suspected that Draco knew about their mission. He asked a lot of questions about why they were at his manor when Hermione got tortured. Immediately following Shell Cottage, there was the big hoopla at Gringots. Luckily the enchantments that tried to kill the three of them ended up destroying the cup. Old magic worked in mysterious ways. After that, their mission came to a screeching halt. They found a mostly dead Draco Malfoy abandon in the woods.

Now they work out of Headquarters. It keeps everyone's spirits up and provides them with more resources. Their current target is the Ravenclaw diadem. Luna was very helpful with this area of research. Hopefully they could all be back on the road soon. Provided Draco manages to get Hermione out. Harry felt his guilt build again.

"How is she?"

Draco shifted under Harry's gaze. Malfoy was shrinking under him, and that was terrifying.

"I haven't exactly seen her…in awhile. We ended on not so good terms and well… The meetings this week..Ive just been well-" Draco was stuttering and stumbling over his words.

"You need to fix this. Get her HOME Malfoy!" Harry was furious. Malfoy was chickening out, and that was unacceptable. He needed to get away before he hurt him.

" Maybe you should worry about your own girlfriend. She is going out with Corner tonight you know. For drinks at the local pub. Sounds safe to me." Draco sneered and then walked away, leaving Harry stunned.

Ron seemed to sense the tension as he quickly made his way toward Harry.

"Want me to stun him? Because, I've been dying to do it forever."Ron joked good naturedly.

Harry just stood rooted in place with a blank stare. After a second he just shook his head and turned toward Ron.

"Fancy a drink tonight?"

Harry and Ron had been in the same booth all night. It was strategically located at the far end of the room. Ginny had the common sense to go to a Muggle Pub at least. Harry knew Ginny was aware of his presence. She would constantly look back at him to see if he noticed what she was doing. He noticed.

The monster inside of him was raging, but he knew this was some sort of test. He wasn't going to go rushing in and bash Michael's skull. He was being relatively harmless. It was Ginny who was touching and laughing. She was egging him on. Still, Harry sat in his seat and downed his beers with Ron. He kept his eye on her the whole time however.

"I seriously cannot watch this Harry! My sister is acting like some scarlett woman_. OOOHH Michael you are sooooo funny!_ It is making me sick." Ron tipped back his glass and finished the liquor. He then quickly gestured to the waitress for another round.

Harry rolled his eyes as he sipped his beer. Ginny was defiantly trying his patients.

"She is completely sloshed. Look at her. Disgusting. I should do something, right?"

"No. She is faking," Ron gave him a confused look, "When Ginny is really pissed, her laugh changes. It goes really high and squeaky. This laugh is her real one. Just… I don't know. She is doing this for some reason." Harry sighed and took a significantly larger gulp of his drink.

At that moment, Ginny decided to get up and dance with a fumbling Michael. She was doing some sort of sexy dance with him while the poor lad tried not to wet himself. Ron laughed so hard he choked on his drink. The liquid went on his nose and everywhere in the booth. Harry welcomed the distraction.

"This is too fucking much. I wish the Twins were here to witness this sad show." Ron cried. Harry couldn't help but smile at the thought.

Two more rounds and many shots later, Harry was laughing right along with Ron. He missed his friend, and he was almost glad Ginny made him go out tonight. However, Ginny had gotten progressively more drunk as the night went on.

Harry was keeping a keen eye on her because he knew it was almost time for her to go. She was defiantly not going home with anyone but him. Looking over at the bar, he found her sitting at the stool stirring her empty cup. Michael was getting them drinks. This was the first time Harry had seen her alone all night. She looked miserable. It broke his heart. When Michael arrived with drinks she hardly looked up at all.

It took Harry about five strides to get to Ginny at the bar. He raised her chin with his hand and placed his lips gently on hers. She seemed to come apart at his touch.

"Sorry mate, but you seem to have something that's mine."

With that, he scooped Ginny up off the stool and into his arms. He carried her bridal style out of the Pub and into the street. Ron quickly followed them out after grabbing the bill.

"I'm sorry Harry. I just wanted to make sure you still loved me." Ginny whimpered as she cuddled up into his neck. Harry nodded his head sadly.

"Always, Ginny"

AN: **Next chapter will be Draco, and we see him start making some decisions about the war. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello everyone! It has been awhile. I plan on having another chapter up this week. It has been a very busy semester. Enjoy!**

"You know I can't let you keep her."

Voldemort ran his long scale like finger down the binding of the books on this particular shelf. The manor library had a definite tension that hung thick in the air. He was feeling out the situation with Draco. Trying to assess how far gone Draco was.

Draco stood tall with his head raised. His eyes were hard and focused in on Voldemort. He showed no hesitation or emotion. He was virtually unreadable. This learned detachment was largely thanks to his father. He could control a room because he had complete control of himself.

"Of course."

"She must be killed of course. We can't risk holding her here for too long." Voldemort turned back to Draco.

" I concur my Lord."

Draco stood tall as Voldemort made his way to him across the room.

"You have been such a good soldier, Draco. Perhaps—well, we might be able to work..something out."

This spiked Draco's attention slightly.

"Ah. You are intrigued. If mudblood Granger were to… let slip any vital information, I might be inclined to keep her. She could be your pet. After all, she is a pretty thing."

Voldemort arced around Draco slowly. He was trying to read him.

"As you wish, my Lord."

Snape busted into the room, and the room got fuzzy and muted.

"ENOUGH!"

Draco felt the familiar tug of being ripped from memory. He was tossed to the floor of Snape's drawing room. He immediately emptied his stomach onto the floor.

"And I expect you to clean… that." Snape gestured to the vomit as he paced across the room.

Draco collected himself, and with a flick of his wrist the floor was immaculate. He grabbed a seat on the open chair and placed his head in his hands. This was getting bad.

"Your skills are lacking, Draco. Where is your concentration? I sat through a full memory. You didn't even try to fight it."

Draco snarled at Snape, but made no attempt to argue with him. He was mentally drained, and it was affecting his magic. The pressure of keeping Granger was far greater than he had planned, and that made the rest of his life stressful.

Snape paused his pacing to catch a glimpse of Draco. He seemed to be battling what to say next. Draco was not in the mood for a lecture, especially when he was already beating himself up. Draco had a choice to make, and he just wasn't sure what the cost would be.

"Don't believe it, Draco. He will not spare her and you will just lose everything." Snape seemed far away as he said this. His tone was detached yet firm.

"He won't say something he does not mean. I have learned that much from working for him." Draco sat up in his chair and stretched his weak muscles.

"You are a fool, boy. If you can trust anything about the Dark Lord, then trust his unstable nature. You are willing to gamble the life of a girl you love on the fickle nature of a master you resent. Providing the Dark Lord with information will be you demise. I can guarantee that."

Draco perked up upon hearing this. Snape hardly ever lost his composure.

"You seem under the impression that I love Granger. You are wrong. I can't deny I am fond of her, but that only goes so far. I will do what I can to protect her, but my main goal is self preservation. You, of all people, should understand that." Draco stood tall and walked toward his godfather.

"I understand more than you. I see what you cannot. I pity the time you will waste with her before you actions get her killed. More than anything, I agonize over the pain you will suffer as you hold her lifeless body in your arms and realize then that the love of your life is dead but you must live."

Draco's body faltered and he froze on the spot. The words cut him with a chill he was unprepared for.

Draco shook his head and apparated out of the room. He couldn't deal with this now, and his lesson was over. Today's events had tired him out more than he was willing to admit, and he was not in the mood to discuss why Snape was saying those things.

He landed in the manor with a pop. The wards on the place made the transition awkward at best. It took him a second to readjust to his surroundings. _Bed. He just needed to get to his damn bedroom._

It took forever to reach his wing of the manor. His bedroom was lavish and his wing was larger than most peoples' homes. It was nice, but the distance got annoying. He entered his room to find someone else there. _Damn_

Astoria glided over to Draco in one easy stride. She quickly undid his tie and buttons while placing small kisses on his neck and chest.

"Long day, love? Let me make it better."

Astoria had him partially undressed before he knew it. Draco looked around his room and saw the ideal pureblood life. She had poured him a glass of fire whiskey and it was set on his dresser. His clothes were hung and orderly. Astoria had clearly spent hours preparing the room and herself for subservient demands.

Astoria was beyond beautiful. He really noticed the way she styled herself, and the attention she placed on her appearance. She was always made up, waxed, plucked, and smelled perfect. They never fought because she never spoke out of line. She lived to please him, and yet he was mostly bored.

Her lips traveled down his chest as she fumbled with his belt. He wasn't really in the mood, but he hadn't touched her in awhile. The others would notice soon if he didn't take his task seriously. No pureblood male would turn away from her. She was groomed to be this role.

She seemed very distraught at his…lack of excitement. Draco needed to put a little effort in. This was unacceptable. He pulled her face up to him and placed a kiss on her neck. Pulling away he waved her forward.

"Astoria. Take off your clothes." He leaned back on the bed and watched as she removed her designer dress and her lingerie. This should and would have excited him in the past. Pity.

She slowly glided to the bed and lay down. She gave him her best look before touching her own body. She was challenging him and damn it she was losing. He couldn't stop thinking about what he was going to do about Granger. She wouldn't give up information to him. DAMN HER. Here was a hot woman touching herself and I was plotting about Granger.

Draco sighed a slapped her hand away. His hand was just better at the task at hand. He watched her as she rode his fingers. This should be sexy or …something. She was nearing her orgasm when she started moaning.

"Draco..I ohhh yes. I love you so much. Draco, please-"

Of Course. He was so oblivious before. Draco jumped up leaving Astoria in the bed. He quickly threw on clothes and ran out of the room. His footsteps echoed heavily in the hallway as he rounded the corner.

Draco threw open the door to Granger room and walked in. She was sprawled across the bed and was snoring. There was a puddle of drool coming from her mouth and her pajamas were a baggy shirt and boxers. There was nothing sexy about this sight, but it comforted him. He picked up a discarded pillow off the floor and chucked it at her. She immediately jumped up, startled out of sleep.

"What the hell, Malfoy. You better have a great reason for this." She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It was clear that this jolt from sleep had her slightly disoriented. She kept blinking and looking around as if she forgot where she was.

Draco climbed into the bed with her and took advantage of this moment of weakness. His lips attacked hers immediately. Her kisses were different than Astoria's and they felt all around better. If he was going to commit to this plan than damn it he was going to enjoy it. Their kisses quickly became more heated and his desire to touch her was driving him crazy.

His hands slowly made their descent up the back of her shirt and around her smooth back and stomach. Hermione moaned as his hands skimmed under her breast. Hermione tore her lips away from his.

"Draco. Don't think you can waltz on in here and just have your wicked way with me. Am I some kind of kept woman to you?" Her mouth was set but her eyes were shifting. Sure fire sign she was lying.

"Ok love, I'll just go then." His mouth captured her lips for a searing kiss before pulling away. He gave her a look before retreating toward the door.

"Oh, bloody hell. Why do I even try with you." Hermione propped herself up in the bed and looked him up and down longingly. A wicked smile ran across her face.

"I feel it would be only fair if I got something out of this arrangement too."

Draco raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Please, having me in your bed is more than enough."

He made his way back toward the bed and sat down next to her. _What was this woman playing at?_ Hermione hopped onto his lap and ran her hand down his face. She looked a little sad, but that was quickly overturned by her smirk.

"Baby, I think I deserve some kind of show. You keep me locked up in this room, and only visit for a quick shag." Draco scoffed at this.

"I hardly believe it was quick by any means..." Hermione ground down on his lap, shutting him up immediately. She was clearly in a rare mood.

Hermione smirked at him before she removed her baggy shirt and boxer shorts. _Bloody Hell_. She was staring up at him in nothing but lacy black knickers. _Damn damn damn._

"Ok Draco, now it's your turn." Draco narrowed his eyes at her before working at his buttons.

"Im thinking it should be slower. Maybe to some music as well." Draco's eyes turned to slits as they glared her down. _What was this witch playing at? _Hermione shoved him off the bed and onto his feet. She looked up at him expecting some strip show. What the fuck.

Draco decided to play along a bit. His let her watch his fingers and he unbuttoned every button of his oxford. _Let her watch, that randy witch. He would even put a little movement into it._ He didn't blame her really. He was a good looking man after all. Having girls swoon at your feet was not something that went unnoticed by a teenage boy. He only got better with age.

"The trousers have got to go next" Draco rolled his eyes at Granger who was clearly amused. He quickly removed his trousers leaving Hermione in a fit of giggles. That sure was an ego boost.

"Oh Draco, keep going. Shake your arse now!" Draco immediately stood straight and glared at Hermione. Ok. Games are over now. Hermione launched herself off the bed and into his arms. The inertia of the whole thing knocked them both onto the ground. Hermione was hysterically laughing, and tears were pouring from her eyes. Draco couldn't help but genuinely smile up at her. Hermione's face just shone in pure joy. Her hair was falling down in pieces around her face and her laughter was contagious. He could spend the rest of his life looking at this moment and die happy. He tried to commit this moment to his memory, because he felt so light and happy.

Hermione's laughter died out and she smiled down at Draco. They just lay tangled on the ground looking at each other.

"What is it?" Hermione laughed.

Draco touched her face just as she had done to him earlier.

"I love you." Draco watched the words register in her mind, and saw the biggest smile of pure joy cover her face. She had never looked more radiant.

"I love you too, Draco. So much." She grabbed his face and planted the biggest kiss onto his lips before pulling away.

"Don't think this gets you off the hook from earlier." She laughed at went back in for a kiss, leaving Draco to contemplate if saying that was more than just part of his plan.

Maybe he really did mean it.


	14. Chapter 14

Narcissa Malfoy was nothing short of stunning. She was groomed to be the perfect pureblood wife, and damn it if she wasn't perfect at it. Lately she found herself losing her focus, and as soon as that happened everything in her life started to fall apart. It all started with a miniscule thought. _Maybe she idolized the wrong sister._ That particular though bounced into her head, catapulting everything she thought she knew.

Bellatrix had a confidence about her that made everyone take notice. Narcissa followed her mother, and in turn followed her sister. She was always so damn ashamed of Andromeda and her blip on the perfect family record. This last year changed her in ways that were too profound and grotesque to mention. Narcissa watched her child chained to a brick wall and tortured by her flesh in blood. She started to question it then. A few months later, Bellatrix was cheering and dancing around as her child tortured his first muggle. The thought returned with a vengeance. Was this what she idolized her whole life?

Narcissa lacked certain qualities that a mother should have. She was never great at showing affection or nurturing in general. Her ability to love, however, was never in question. Draco was loved and cared for growing up. She always knew he was too good for this life. Pureblood society was supposed to be of the highest quality of living, but all Narcissa knew was pain and darkness. Her husband had tried to beat the light out of Draco, and he believes he succeeded. Narcissa knew the truth. Draco kept that light but hid it behind his stubbornness and strength. He was the exact replica of her sister, Andromeda, and that fear kept her up at night. At first she feared that he would make the same decisions as her dreaded sister, but eventually she began to fear that he wouldn't. Draco was never a Malfoy. Draco was a Black.

Her side of the family, and their traditions and personalities shined through him. The more he worked for the dark lord the more he became like his father. She would not let that become his story.

Narcissa wrapped her cloak around her more tightly as she walked the alleyway of Spinner's End. The last time she had met with Severus she was with her sister. This time she would be traveling alone. Snape had not seemed all that surprised when she requested his presence, but she assumed that he knew this was coming. She had been observing and taking note of all the actions of her son, and she knew that her observations were being observed as well by Severus. He knew that she knew.

When she arrived at the door she knocked with mild urgency. It was not proper to be out this late, and she was just not confident in her disguise. Snape opened the door and led her into his kitchen. There was tea set up and chairs and table ready. Narcissa settled herself in and poured herself a cup of tea.

Snape observed her actions and silently observed. He was clearing waiting for her to talk.

"I honestly do not know where your alliance is anymore, Severus. I will not attempt to understand, but I know you look after my son. Therefore I trust you, and I beg of you to tell me what is happening."

"You should not paint yourself so naïve. You asked for this meeting so tell me what you know to be true."

"He has joined the Order. I know that he has. I followed his tracking on the Malfoy Estates and he seems more distracted. His focus and drive does not come from serving a master, but by following a new duty. He might have fooled the Dark Lord, but I know my son. He serves no one. That leads me to my next issue. How is he loyal to the Order? He has no noble ambitions or change of heart. I'm missing a piece of this riddle."

Snape sat stone faced and sipped his tea. There were clearly a million thoughts going through his head but he remained stoic. A small smile slipped across his lips.

"That would be the girl." He continued to drink his tea as we watched her process the information.

"Draco joined the Order, but only upon the Dark Lord's request. After his year of brainwashing and mental and physical torture, the Dark Lord believed he had become his faithful servant. They beat him and left him for dead, and the Order found him. The Dark Lord underestimated Draco's resilience and overestimated his ability to find the light. He never believed Draco would survive the beating, and when he did…well he had to come up with a new plan for him. Draco lost his allegiance to the dark side a long time ago, but he did not align with the light either. He aligned with the girl. That is what people do not understand, and I dare say he does not understand as well. The Order believes he is a spy for them, and the dark side believes he spies for them. He spies for both side, and fights for himself. It is a genius plan because both sides are completely sold on the idea" Snape laughed as he sipped his tea.

Narcissa was processing this information at an alarming rate. It was all making sense, but it hardly provided the comfort she was seeking.

"Then what is the problem now?"

"Draco got caught up on both sides. He is holding Hermione Granger captive, but the light side needs her back. The dark side is waiting to see what he will do with her. Both sides don't understand what the problem is. Draco cannot set her free without raising suspicion. The Order has no idea that the dark side knows about his membership to the light side. The Dark Lord said he will set her free if she produces some useful information. He believes him, and is trying to get information from her."

Narcissa's mind was moving a million miles a minute.

"I don't see what the problem with that is. Worst case he kills the girl after he gets the information."

Snape sighed and set his empty cup onto the table. "Draco wouldn't survive that. Losing her would make him lose everything. She is his everything," Snape stood and collected his dishes, "Hope you are ready for some halfblood grandchildren."

Narcissa promised herself one thing, and that was that she would not cry. Not today. After several long deep breathes she opened the sealed door to find Hermione Granger.

The room as very tidy and her clothes were all sorted and folded on her bed. Hermione was sitting at the desk with her back to her. She was deep in thought, scribbling down as she read.

"One second love. I just have to write down one more thought." Hermione continued to write as she spoke. Finally, she completed her idea and turned around. Her shock kept her frozen in place.

"Ms. Granger. Lovely to see you this morning."

"But.. Drac- Oh Merlin! Is he alright! What happened? Did he send you?" She looked like she was about to lose her lunch. Poor girl.

"Please, I felt it was only fitting that I should meet you. I just need to understand what this thing is with my son."

Hermione tensed as both women sized each other up. They were silent for a long while. Hermione seemed to be collecting her thoughts.

"I won't speak for Draco, but it wasn't really planned. We don't see eye to eye on anything. Every time we talk we argue about something, but that is because we are both passionate about everything. It's deeper than that. We understand each other on a level that I didn't know existed."

Narcissa narrowed her gazed at the girl before her. They way she spoke only further proved Snape's theories.

"I just- I have wondered what I would say to you. There are so many things that he doesn't understand. That is because you denied him of it. He can't comprehend security or basic affection. Where were you when you should have been rocking him to sleep or chasing away the demons? I was angry with you for so long, but I should thank you."

Narcissa was shocked by this. That was not the response she was expecting. She motioned for Hermione to continue.

"You are the reason he is brave and strong. He is compassionate and protective, but those traits do not come from his father. I don't see Lucius here speaking to me now. I don't expect I will see him unless it is at the end of his wand."

Narcissa stood and took in everything the young woman said to her. She felt so many emotions, but she knew her decision would be much easier.

"Hermione, I have no right but I request one thing from you. When you have children… Please tell them that Slytherin's can be brave too. Tell them about their Grandma, and that I love them. Tell Draco I am doing this for his future because I ruined his past. Tell my sister I am sorry."

Hermione stood straight and tried to comprehend what was happening. Narcissa took off her wedding ring and handed it to Hermione. It shone a blue tint before the familiar tug of the Portkey carried her away. Hermione landed at the Burrow before she had a chance to tell Narcissa she would.

-  
>With Hermione gone, Narcissa could snoop around her room. She was never one to snoop before, but she was also never this curious in her life. Draco was such an angry child and even more so when he became an adult. She wished she could have seen firsthand the effect of this woman on her son.<p>

There was very little in the room that was out of the ordinary. Everything was so sensible and orderly. Narcissa glided her way across the room and over toward the desk. There were a few books on Ravenclaw and a parchment full of notes. She scanned the writing, but nothing really peeked her interest.

She would never admit it out loud, but she was damn impressed with this girl. If only she were from a more respectable background then all of this mess could have been avoided. Draco was one to defy his limitations she supposed. She had expected to feel anxious or scared about her decision, but instead she felt complete contentment. Narcissa had felt her purpose was interwoven in her son's destiny, and that this was her final gift to him.

It was her fault really. She was a silly girl who did foolish things all because she let someone else make her weak. Lucius kept her exactly where he wanted her throughout her whole marriage. Inside she was screaming at the injustice, but her greatest fear was the humiliation of being socially out casted. Narcissa had lost herself in this world she created, and it was about damn time someone stood up for her son. It was about damn time someone thought about him first. Narcissa's finger trailed the stack of books on the desk. A small smile graced her face as she fully accepted what she had just done.

She sat down on the bed as the direness of the situation hit her. Draco's path would be corrected now and he would understand one day. She would never see him get married or his children. Narcissa felt she didn't really deserve to. Not after what she had done. Not when she failed as a mother. Her dark mark burned its calling on her arm. The smile disappeared from her face as she realized what this meant.

Her breath caught in her chest as she realized that this was the beginning of the end of the tragic life of Narcissa Malfoy-No. Narcissa Black.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the wait. I have honestly been having the worst writers block. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to my dedicated readers!**

Draco stood in the hallway of Grimald Place panting for breath. His hands were shaking with a fury that had overcome him. It was a miracle that he could apparate himself there in the first place due to the extensive amount of alcohol sitting in his empty stomach. His mind was focused on the task at hand, even if the edges were blurred from the substances mixed in his system. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he could only carry out the task. Yes. He had to make this right.

With a renewed energy he hastily threw open the doors to the sitting room. The occupants of the room fell silent at the rage radiating off of Draco. He stood their staring at all of them in the scariest manner. Sweat dripped down his enflamed face but no words escaped his mouth. There was a dead silence that filled the room that carried the obvious heavy tension. No one had seen this from Draco before, and to say it was unnerving would be putting it lightly.

"Potter. Get me fucking Potter—Or I'll kill her—and an- she will die for all of your injustices"

Draco's voice was wavering, but it held an absolute truth. He was prepared to kill her. Everyone in the room looked around in a panicked state. Finally, Harry stepped out from the crowd. He stood slowly with his hands open. His face gave away the fear he was trying to mask from Draco.

"Listen mate..I don't—I how—What can I do?" Harry's face was sheet white as he tried to reason with Draco.

Draco quickly advanced on Harry while withdrawing his wand. Everyone in the room collectively made the move for their wand. With a swipe of Draco's hand, all the wands fell useless to the ground. Draco's attention never left Harry, and it was as if disabling a room of people was a basic feat.

Harry locked eyes with Draco as he found himself at wandpoint. Draco's hand was unsteady and he reeked of liquor. There was a desperation in his eyes that was reminiscent of Sirius when confronting Wormtail. Harry visibly shrank under the intense gaze.

"Draco. What is going on!?" Draco whipped around to see Hermione staring at him. She was clearly shocked at the current situation. His breathing quicken and his rage multiplied.

_They used him! She used him. She broke him and left him nothing. That bitch. _

Draco was losing control. His wand kept alternating from Granger to Potter to the random people of the room. His breathing came in short desperate gasps. His eyes couldn't focus. His mind was screaming for blood.

"YOU BETRAYED ME!" Draco screamed out to everyone and no one.

"She was on our side this whole time! You sent her to the slaughter! You FUCKING KILLED HER" The curtains in the corner caught fire at the accidental magic.

No one moved in the room. No one breathed.

"How could you do this to me!" Draco started shaking as other tongs of flames burst throughout the room.

"Draco. We don't know what you are talking about—I swear that-"

"Shut UP! Just shut the fuck—I don't know where—How could you-" Draco grasped for words.

Hermione took this as her opportunity to step forward.

"Love, I don't know-"

Draco snapped around at the sound of her voice. His wand held straight at her heart.

"You betrayed me. You lied and used me—made me love—I"

"Your mother told me that you-"

"So you knew! You fucking knew and let it happen!" Draco's body started hyperventilating at the idea. He could feel the ground around him slipping. His world had been a lie. She had been a lie.

"It was all part of the plan to—"

Draco blacked out in rage upon hearing this. The shred of sanity wiped away upon hearing her admit to the plan that ended his mother's life. He was a desperate man, and desperate people lose all reason. He remembered being hit by many spells at once. He remembered the seering pain of colliding with the brick wall. He remembered causing the room to burst in flames from his magic. He remembered his soul ripping into pieces. He did not remember extending his wand and screaming out

"Crucio"

XXXXXXX

The death eaters stood around anxiously. They had been summoned to the great hall of the Malfoy Manor. It was late on a Sunday night, not exactly typical meeting time. Draco knew something was going to happen. This meeting _was_ taking place in his house after all. He immediately regretted not checking in on Granger before arriving. He had a feeling that was a huge mistake. The Dark Lord was standing completely still while Narcissa stood at his left. She seemed supremely regal next to the scariest wizard in the world. His mother showed no emotion except content, but her eyes gave the occasional spark of fear.

_Why was she standing next to him?_

"I am sure you have all been questioning why you were called." He turned to Narcissa a slid a finger along her stoic face.

"I learned of an ultimate betrayal of not just me, but of the most noble family line." Voldemort's face showed the truth behind his words.

Draco panicked at the thought. _Was he caught? What the hell was going on? Why was his mother up with the Dark Lord?_

"Draco, my son. Is there something you would like to tell us?"

Everyone in the room turned and stared at him. He could feel the eyes of all of Voldemort's followers staring him down. Some were driven by curiosity and other by envy, but they all were waiting to see how Draco would react.

Draco's face remained blank and he forcefully relaxed his body. If he was going down then he wasn't going down easily.

Voldemort remained stationary while he sized up Draco's response. Both seemed to be daring the other to make a move.

"Not that I am aware of, my Lord."Voldemort sneered but made no real indication that he believed him.

"I see"

Voldemort pointed his wand back at Narcissa and tightened his grip around her neck. Draco could hear his mother's slight gasp before her face returned to its original mask of indifference.

"Your mother has been working for the Order. She broke in and set free your slave using an unregistered portkey." Draco's mind was working on overdrive.

_If she was working for the Order than surely they were prepared to help. Where the fuck were they?_

"It's curious to me that in your time spying for me you never mentioned your mother. Makes me believe that perhaps your loyalties are not with me."

"Of course they are my Lord. She must have been working without my knowledge. There are ways she could have gone undetected. I have more the proven my loyalty to you. How can I convince you further?"

Draco started to walk toward Voldemort, but the closer he got the further the wand dug into his mother's neck. There was a sense of panic the spread through Draco. _Where were the Order members now? Why would they send his mother on this suicide mission?_

Voldemort remained silent, but his inner turmoil was starting to bubble to the surface. Whenever Voldemort felt a loss of power he always countered with an attack of fear. His vulnerability was also what charged his cruelty.

"Kill her"

Draco could not compute the situation he was in. He just stood there frozen in fear. Surely this was not happening.

"Kill your mother and prove your loyalty, or I will kill you both to set an example."

The room erupted in panic and confusion, but they were all silenced by Bellatrix's wand. Lucius Malfoy was frozen in place and forced to watch his own personal nightmare.

Draco immediately lowered his wand. He couldn't kill Dumbledore. He knew there was no chance he would kill his mother.

"Draco! Please do this for me. I knew this would happen going in. I am doing this for you so don't waste it by dying as well. Im begging you" Narcissa was sobbing openly at this point.

Draco was in panic as he searched the room. Someone had to be coming for them. The room was shrinking all around him. He couldn't see or think, all he could here was Kill her. Chanting over and over in his head. Kill her. KILL HER.

Then a relaxation overcame Draco. Instantly all of his anxiety and fear washed away and he was left with a new feeling. The moment of calm was over when Draco realized he knew this feeling. This was the feeling of Imperius curse. He started fighting and tried to force the curse off, but the person who cast this curse knew his mind well.

Draco looked over his shoulder at his father and gave him one pleading look.

XXXXXXXX

Draco awoke with a start. It felt like he was awaking from a sudden death. He couldn't move his hands or feet. Where was his wand?

His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim lighting and he took in his surroundings. He was in an empty room. He was chained to a wall.

Draco immediately was sent back to the year of imprisonment. His body shook and his breathing got quick and shallow. He promised himself he would never come back here. He was trapped again. His mind could not focus and panic ran threw him. His pride left him as he sobbed openly in panic. There was no way he could survive this again. The entirety of his stomach emptied on the floor as he sank into the wall. The darkness surrounded him and he knew no more.

When Draco awoke again he was in a bed. This room was small, but it had a window with the view. Looking around he realized he was above ground. He was safe, but he was completely alone. The door leading to the outside clicked open and in walked the last person Draco expected.

"So you're awake now. That's good."

Ginny brought the plate of food over to the bed and sat on the edge. This scene was eerily reminiscing of their last visit to each other.

"Don't worry you are in a safe house. You got moved out of the lower dungeon. Hermione found out you were chained up down there and had a right fit. Said something about you being held prisoner for a year and how you wouldn't handle waking up down there. I guess she was right. We found you unconscious covered in your own piss and vomit."

Draco scoffed and looked away. He was beyond humiliated and having it presented to him in such a forward fashion was too much.

"Fuck you weasel." He muttered.

She smirked before handing him the plate of food.

"You should eat this. You are going to need your strength."

Draco slowly picked at his food while he tried to understand what had happened. He remembered drinking. More than he had his whole life. Then something. Something major.

"Ginny" The pain in his voiced caught her attention.

"Look Draco. Just—Don't even go there. No one can believe I am taking care of you, but I have a debt to settle. Im not taking your side on any of this shit." She stood up to leave. Clearly upset about the whole situation.

"Ginny… What did I do?"

Ginny paused at the door and turned around. She searched his eyes for a moment before she released the breath she was holding. Clearly his eyes showed her what she needed to see.

"You used the Cruciatus curse on Hermione. She almost died."


End file.
